UTHERN  REGIONAL  LIBRARY  FACILITY 


AA    000  665  100    4 
U.  S.  DEPARTMENT   OE   AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  SOILS— MILTON  WHITNEY,  Chief. 

IN  COOPEUATION  WITH  TlIK  DKLAWARE  COLLEGE  AND  AGRICULTURAL  EXPERI- 
MENT STATION,  II.  HAYAVARD,  DEAN  AND  DIRECTOR. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  KENT  COUNTY, 
DELAWARE. 


BY 


J.  E.  DUNN,   In  Charge,   and  J.   M.   SNYDER,   of  the  U.  S. 

Department  of  Agriculture,  and  ELWOOD  IIOFFECKEll, 

OF  the  Delaware  Agricultural  Experiment  Station. 


HUGH  H.  BENNETT,  Inspector,  Southern  Division. 


[Adrance  Sheets— Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils,  1918.] 


WASHrNG'TON: 

GOVERNMENT  PRINTING  OD'EIOE. 

1920. 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL. 


U.  S.  Departmetst  of  AonicoLTLTnE, 

Bureau  of  sSotls, 
Washln<jton,  D.  6'.,  August  20^  1919., 
Sir:  During  the  field  season  of  1018  a  soil  survey  was  made  of 
Kent  County,  Del.     This  work  was  done  in  cooperation  with  the 
State  of  Delaware,  and  the  selection  of  the  area  was  made  after  con- 
ference with  State  officials, 

I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  the  manuscript  report  and 
map  covering  this  area  and  to  reconnnend  their  publication  as  ad- 
vance sheets  of  Field  Operations  of  the  Bureau  of  Soils  for  1918,  as 
provided  by  law. 

Respectfully, 

^        Milton  Whitney, 

Chief  of  Bureau. 
Hon.  D.  F.  Houston, 

Secretoury  of  Agriculture. 

2 


Jf^Lr  ry/ZA^ 


5i??V 


p  'f^  m  m  m  m  •  ■  ■ , 


i,,irifl|i#|^''"'  '■ 


CONTENTS. 


Page. 

Soil  Subvky  of  Kknt  County,  Dklawahk.     By  J.  E.  Dunn,  In  Chargk, 
and  J.  M.   Snydkr,  of  the  U.   S.  Dkpautmknt  of  Acricultukk,   anil. 

ElWOOD   IIOFFF.fKKK,   OF  TIIK   DeI.AWARIO  AuRICl'LTlRAL    Kxi'KRIMKNT    STA- 
TION   5 

Description  of  tlii*  area 5 

CliniaU' 7 

A^ricnltun- S 

Soils 12 

Sassafras  sand 14 

Sassafras  loamy  sand l.j 

Sassafras  sandy  loam 10 

Sassafras  loam 19 

Sassafras  silt  loam 20 

Loonardtown  sandy  loam 21 

lA'onardtown   loam 22 

Elklon  sand}'  loam i 23 

Elkton  loam 24 

Elkton   silt  loam 25 

rortsmoulb  sandy  loam 2G 

Portsmontli  loam 27 

Portsmoulli  silt   loam 2S 

Meadow 28 

Swamii 29 

Tidal    marsh 30 

Coastal  boafh 31 

Summary 31 


ILLUSTRATIONS. 


FIGUBK. 

Page. 
Flo.  1.  Slietch  mai)  sliowing  location  of  ilio  Kont  I'ounty  area,  Delaware 5 

MAP. 

Soil  uiap,  Kent  County  sheet,  Delaware. 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  KENT  COUNTY,  DELAWARE. 

By  J.  E.  DUNN,  In  Charge,  and  J.  M.  SNYDER,  of  the  U.  S.  Department  of 
Agriculture,  and  ELWOOD  HOFFECKER,  of  the  Delaware  Agricultural  Experi- 
ment Station.— Area  Inspected  by  HUGH  H.  BENNETT. 


DESCRIPTION  OF  TIIi:  .M'.KA. 

« 

Kent  County  occupies  the  central  part  of  Delaware.     It  is  ap- 
proximately (iO  miles  east  of  Baltimore,  and  about  7r>  miles  south- 
Avest  of  Philadelphia.     It  is  hounded  on  the  east  by  the  Delaware 
Kiver  and  Delaware  Bay.    The  northern 
boundary    is    formed    in    part    by    the 
Smyrna  River,  AAdiich  floAvs  in  a  north- 
easterly course.     The  greatest  length  of 
the  county  north  and  south  is  about  '^i") 
miles,  Avhile  the  aA'erage  Avidth  east  and 
Avest  is  about  20  miles.    The  count}^  com- 
prises  about  one-third   of  the   State   of 
Delaware,  and  has  a  total  land  area  of 
594  square  miles,  or  380,1G0  acres. 

All  of  Kent  County  is  embraced  AA^ithin 
the  physiographic  diA'ision  known  as  the 
Atlantic  Coastal  Plain,  and  has  a  flat  to 
nearly  hval  surface.  Topographically 
the  county  can  be  diAaded  roughly  into 
three  divisions,  viz,  the  poorly  drained, 
treeless  tidal  marshes  along  DelaAvare 
Bay ;  second,  a  l)road  belt  of  w^ell-drained 
fertile  farming  land  Avhicli  extends  in 
a  general  north  and  south  direction 
through  the  central  part  of  the  count}'; 
third,  the  western  section,  wdiich  is  flat 
and  frequently  A^ery  poorly  dr^iined. 

The  tidal-marsh  belt  lies  nearly  at  sea  leA'el  and  is  subject  to 
inundation  during  higli  tides.  It  contains  numerous  sloughs  and 
ponds.  This  belt  is  quite  irregular  in  outline,  Avitli  a  maxiunun 
Aviclth  of  oA^er  4  miles  and  a  minimum  of  less  than  1.  It  extends 
seATral  miles  up  the  streams  entering  the  bay  as  tidal-marsh  es- 
tuaries. In  places  in  the  southern  part  it  is  separated  from  the  bay 
by  a  narrow  .sand  barrier. 

Back  ot  this  foreland  a  plain  slowly  rises  to  the  central  part  of 
the  county,  where  the  maximum  elevation   is  about  65   feet.     The 


Fig.  1.-- J^'kelcli.  mai)  sliDWin^ 
location  of  the  Kent  County 
nroa,    Dpi  a  ware. 


6  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUItEAU   OF   SOILS,  1918. 

stream  courses  here  have  sufficient  fall  for  adequate  drainage.  In 
contrast  to  this,  the  western  belt  includes  many  depressions  and 
flats  near  the  heads  of  streams.  The  channels  are  frequently  in- 
definite, and  the  drainage  of  much  of  the  land  is  very  imperfect. 

The  drainage  of  about  three-fourths  of  the  county  is  into  Dela- 
ware Bay  through  the  Smyrna  River,  Murderkill  River,  Duck, 
Little  Duck,  St.  Jones,  and  Mispillion  Creeks  and  their  tributaries, 
while  the  western  fourth  is  drained  into  Chesapeake  Bay  through 
the  Chester  and  Choptank  Rivers  and  Marshyhope  Creek.  The 
streams  are  rather  sluggish,  and  in  most  places  their  banks  are  not 
over  10  to  15  feet  below  the  general  upland  level.  They  usually 
flow  through  veiy  nari^ow  strips  of  flood  plain,  more  or  less  swampy, 
and  covered  with  trees  and  a  dense  undergrowth.  Along  many  of 
the  larger  streams  in  the  upland  the  water  is  stored  in  dams  and 
used  to  operate  mills.  Navigation  is  possible  along  the  tidal  streams 
from  the  bay  to  Milford,  Frederica,  Florence,  Little  Creek,  Leipsic, 
and  Smyrna. 

Very  little  settlement  had  been  made  in  what  is  now  Kent  County 
prior  to  1664,  when  the  Dutch  settlements  of  Delaware  were  sur- 
rendered to  the  English.  The  early  settlers  were  principally  English, 
Swedish,  and  Dutch.  The  1840  census  gives  the  population  of  Kent 
County  as  19,872.  The  population  increased  to  32,874  in  1880,  but 
fell  in  1910  to  27,812,  of  which  4,909  was  urban  and  22,903  rural.  The 
percentage  of  rural  population  decreased  from  91.4  in  1880  to  8G.2 
in  1900  and  82.3  in  1910.  In  the  latter  year  the  rural  population 
averaged  37.1  persons  per  square  mile. 

Dover,  the  largest  town  in  the  county,  is  located  in  the  central 
portion,  and  has  a  population  of  3,720.  It  is  the  capital  of  the  State 
as  well  as  the  county  seat  of  Kent  County.  Milford,  with  a  popula- 
tion of  2,604,  situated  partly  in  Sussex  County  does  some  shipbuild- 
ing, and  is  a  distributing  point  for  a  large  agricultural  section. 
Smyrna  is  the  principal  shipping  point  for  the  northern  part  of  the 
county.  Harrington,  Clayton,  Camden,  Wyoming,  Frederica,  and 
Felton  are  rather  important  local  towns. 

The  Pennsylvania  Railroad  runs  north  and  south  through  the 
center  of  the  county  and  affords  good  transportation  to  Wilming- 
ton, Philadelphia,  and  other  points  north.  From  Harrington  one 
branch  runs  through  Milford  to  Franklin  City,  Va.,  and  another 
branch  goes  from  Clayton  to  Oxford,  Md.  Frederica  has  passenger- 
boat  service  to  Philadelphia. 

The  county  is  well  supjdied  with  wagon  roads,  which  are  ke])t  in 
moderately  good  condition.  A  few  of  the  farmers  have  telephone 
service.' 

Numerous  canning  factories  are  scattered  throughout  the  area, 
while  milk  and  cream  are  boiiglit  at  the  more  important  towns. 


SOIL  SURVF.V   OF    KKNT   COUNTY,    HELAWA.RE.  7 

rLTM.V'IK, 

Tlie  climate  of  Kent  County  is  quito  similar  to  that  of  the  whole 
region  lying  between  the  Dehiwaro  and  Chesapeake  Bays.  During 
the  summer  the  days  are  hot,  but  excessively  so  only  for  short  periods, 
and  the  nights  are  usually  comfortable.  However,  the  humidity  is 
ver}'  high,  which  has  a  tendency  to  make  the  heat  oppressive.  July, 
the  hottest  month,  has  an  average  temperature  of  70.7°  F.,  with  an 
absolute  maximum  of  104°  F.  During  the  winter  months  the  at- 
mosphere is  generally  damp  and  penetrating.  Zero  weather  may 
occur,  but  it  is  usually  of  short  duration.  February  is  the  coldest 
month,  with  an  absolute  minimum  of  12°  below  zero  and  a  mean 
of  34.G°  F.  In  some  years  considerable  freezing  and  thawing  oc- 
curs during  the  late  winter  and  early  spring,  which  fre(]uently  is 
injurious  to  wheat  on  the  heavy-textured  and  poorly  drained  soils. 
Near  the  water  frf)nt  the  range  in  temperature  is  not  so  great  as  over 
the  remainder  of  the  area. 

The  mean  rainfall  is  43.69  inches,  precipitation  being  distributed 
evenly  throughout  the  year.  The  driest  year  on  record  at  ISfilford 
was  1895,  with  a  total  of  36.54  inches,  while  1903  was  the  wettest, 
with  54.22  inches.  The  average  snowfall  is  24.1  inches.  Periods  of 
drought,  as  well  as  wet  periods,  sometimes  occur  during  the  growing 
season  and  decrease  crop  yields,  but  entire  failures  from  these  causes 
are  very  unusual.  Wind  and  hailstorms  are  of  rare  occurrence,  though 
at  times  local  damage  has  resulted  from  these  causes. 

The  normal  growing  season  is  about  187  days  in  length,  as  the 
average  date  of  the  last  killing  frost  in  the  spring  is  April  20  and 
that  of  the  fir.st  in  the  fall,  October  24.  Tlie  latest  fro.st  in  the  spring 
on  record  occurred  on  May  14,  while  the  earliest  recorded  in  the 
fall  occurred  on  October  2.  Entire  failures  of  fruit  crops  are  seldom 
caused  by  frost. 

The  following  table,  compiled  from  the  records  of  the  Weather 
Bureau  station  at  Milford,  shows  the  normal  monthly,  seasonal, 
and  annual  temperature  and  precipitation: 

Normal  luontJily,  ftcasovnl.  and  annual  tcinpcraivrc  and  precipitation  at  Milford. 


Temperature.                    j                            Precipitation. 

Month. 

Mean. 

Absolute 
niaximiim. 

,\hsolulo 
niiniiuura. 

Mean. 

Total 

amount 

for  the 

driest 

year(is95). 

Total 

amount 

for  the 

wet  test 

year  (1903). 

Snow, 

average 

depth. 

°F. 

37.5 
.30. 5 
31.0 

"  F. 
71 

'  F. 

-  ,! 
-12 

Inches. 
3. 80 
3.37 

3.  SS 

Inches. 
1.74 
4.85 
1.60 

Inches. 
4.52 
3.35 

6.  S2 

Inches. 
6.9 

8.2 

February 

6.4 

Winter 

30.  2 

77                 -12 

11.11                  8.19 

14.0'J 

21.5 

FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF    SOILS,   1018, 
Normal   inovthli/,  .'^ra.^onal,   and  annual   Innpcratnrc,   etc. — Continued. 


Temperature. 

Precipitation. 

Month. 

Mean. 

Absolute 
maximum. 

Absolute 
minimum. 

Mean. 

Total 

amount 

for  the 

driest 

year  (1895). 

Total 

amount 

for  the 

wettest 

year  (1903). 

Snow, 
average 
depth. 

°F. 
43.9 
53.2 
03. 4 

°F. 
88 
97 
97 

8 
23 
33 

Inches. 

3.87 
3.32 
.3.88 

Inches. 
2.09 
5.38 

4.4S 

Inches. 
8.21 
3. 08 
2.31 

Inches. 
1.3 

April 

0.2 

May 

0.0 

Spring 

ra.r, 

97 

8 

11.07 

12.55 

14.20 

1.5 

72.0 
70.  7 
74.8 

ini 

104 
99 

44 
48 

3.80 
3.  04 
3.90 

2.11 
3.17 
3.05 

4.93 
3. 93 

5.35 

0.0 

July 

0.0 

0.0 

Summer 

74.5 

104 

44 

11.40 

S.93 

14.21 

0.0 

OS.  2 
50. 9 

45.8 

97 
90 

SO 

•     35 
17 

3.70 
3.39 
3.02 

2.96 
2.42 
1.49 

3.70 
0.  00 
1.30 

0.0 

October 

0.0 

November    

1.1 

Fall 

57.  0 

97 

17 

10.11 

0. 87 

11.12 

1.1 

Year 

.55.3 

104 

-12 

43.09 

36.54 

54.22 

24.1 

AGRICULTURE. 

Since  the  earliest  settlement,  the  principal  industry  of  Kent 
County  has  been  agriculture.  During  the  early  days  wheat  and  com 
were  the'principal  products,  grown  for  home  use.  Tobacco  soon  be- 
came an  important  crop  and  continued  so  for  a  long  period,  but  its 
production  had  been  entirely  abandoned  before  the  Civil  War.  Prior 
to  1860  oats  were  produced  extensively,  and  the  annual  production 
reached  300,000  bushels.  Production  gradually  declined  from  this 
high  average  and  now  is  less  than  10,000  l)ushels. 

About  1820  peach  growing  began  to  develop.  The  first  orchards 
were  seedlings,  but  during  the  thirties  budded  fruit  was  inti-oduced 
and  the  acreage  was  gradually  increased  until  Delaware  became 
widely  notexl  as  a  peach-growing  State.  The  crop  was  very  jn-ofit- 
able  until  the  early  eighties,  when  the  disease  known  as  the  yellows 
made  its  appearance.  Since  that  time  the  industry  has  declined; 
thus  from  1800  to  1010  the  orchards  decreased  from  2,335,740  to 
182,615  trees. 

Corn  and  wheat  have  nlways  been  prominent  crops,  and  they  rank 
first  in  importance  at  tlie  present  time.  In  1000  there  were  56,010 
acres  in  corn,  accoi-ding  to  the  census,  with  a  production  of  1,507,835 
bushels;  and  45,813  acres  in  wheat,  with  a  production  of  622,075 


SOIL   SURVEY   OF   KENT   COUNTY,    DELAWARE.  9 

bushels.  In  IHTiJ  the  total  production  of  com  was  1,289,285  bushels, 
and  that  of  wheat,  -t4(5,r)42  Ijushcls.  Some  oats,  rye,  and  buckwlieat 
are  <jjrown.  but  they  are  minor  crops,  tlieir  combined  area  in  1900 
being  less  than  2,000  acres.  The  total  value  of  the  cereal  crops 
produced  in  1909  was  $l,r)9,''),(>lG. 

Hay  is  also  an  important  crop.  It  consists  largely  of  clover,  or 
timothy,  or  a  mixture  of  the  two.  In  1909  a  total  of  21,810  tons  of 
clover  ami  timothy  were  protluced,  from  17,90()  acres,  and  7,880  acres 
of  marsh  hay  Avere  cut,  with  an  estimated  total  production  of  -t,G99 
tons.  Most  of  the  hay  is  used  locally,  but  small  (]uantities  are  baled 
and  shipped  The  county  has  a  small  acreage  of  alfalfa.  Millet 
and  cowpeas  are  grown  to  a  minor  extent  for  hay. 

Tomatoes  are  the  most  important  canning  crop.  They  are  grown 
tliroiighout  the  county,  and  by  most  of  the  fanners.  The  Stone  and 
Greater  lialtimore  are  the  principal  varieties,  but  many  other  kinds, 
such  as  the  Delaware  Beauty,  Paragon,  Matchless,  and  l*onderosa,  are 
also  grown.  Practically  all  the  crop  is  taken  by  the  local  canneries. 
Many  of  the  farmers  contract  their  entire  crop,  while  others  sell 
when  picked  at  the  prevailing  price.  Peas  and  sugar  corn  also  are 
produced  in  a  small  way  for  canning. 

In  1909  the  production  of  sweet  potatoes  was  238,023  bushels,  the 
area  planted  being  1,834  acres.  Many  varieties  are  grown,  but  the 
best  3aelds  seem  to  be  obtained  with  the  Imperial  Big  Stem,  Big 
Stem,  and  Goldskin.  Most  of  the  farmers  lune  potato  houses,  and 
the  crop  is  usually  stored  and  held  for  higher  prices.  Considerable 
quantities  of  sweet  potatoes  are  canned  by  local  factories. 

Irish  potatoes  are  grown  by  practically  all  the  fai-mers  in  sulHcient 
quantities  for  home  use.  In  1909  there  were  produced  138,255 
bushels,  from  1,313  acresw 

Cantaloupes,  watermelons,  asparagus,  beans,  cabbage,  peppers,  and 
many  other  vegeta-bles  are  produced  on  most  of  the  farms,  mainly 
for  home  use,  but  to  a  small  extent  for  sale  on  the  local  markets. 

The  fruit  belt  of  the  county  is  largely  restricted  to  a  region  between 
Fredcrica  and  the  central  part  of  the  northern  bountlary.  Local 
conditions  are  well  adapted  to  the  production  of  apples,  and  failures 
seldom  occur.  Many  varieties  are  grown.  The  principal  late  varie- 
ties are  Stayman  Winesap,  Nero,  Paragon,  Konie  Beauty,  and  Ben 
Davis. 

Though  the  peach  industry  has  declined  imtil  the  orchard  area 
is  only  8  per  cent  of  what  it  was  30  years  ago,  the  production  is 
still  considerable.  The  principal  varieties  are  the  Carmen,  Belle  of 
Georgia,  and  Elberta.  Most  of  the  peaches  are  shipped  to  north- 
ern markets.  The  growing  of  peai-s  is  greatly  handicapped  by  the 
blight,  but  the  more  resistant  Kieffer  variety  is  grown  quite  exten- 
sively and  is  used  largely  for  canning.  Grapes  are  grown  to  some 
137541°— lil) 2 


10  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1918. 

exterit  mostly  in  tlie  vicinity  of  Smyrna  and  Camden.    The  Concord, 
Niagara,  and  Moore  Early  are  the  principal  varieties. 

Strawberries,  dewberries,  blackberries,  and  raspberries  grow  well 
and  are  produced  in  a  small  way  for  market.  More  strawberries 
are  produced  in  the  western  part  of  the  county  than  elsewhere. 

The  live-stock  industry  is  not  very  important,  though  many  of 
the  farmers  sell  a  few  calves  or  beef  cattle  each  year.  They  are 
bought  by  the  local  meat  markets.  On  some  farms  the  raising 
of  cattle  is  of  more  importance.  Hogs  are  raised  in  sufficient  quantity 
to  meet  the  local  demand. 

The  value  of  dairy  products,  exclusive  of  those  used  in  the  home, 
amounted  to  $184,753  in  1909.  Milk  is  produced  on  most  of  the 
farms,  and  many  of  the  farmers  sell  small  quantities  of  milk,  cream, 
and  butter.  The  grade  of  dairy  cows  is  gradually  improving,  and 
dairying  is  on  tlio  increase. 

Poultry  is  kept  on  practically  all  the  farms,  and  a  few  farmers 
make  a  specialty  of  poultry  and  egg  production. 

AVhile  the  general  farm  crops  are  grown  on  almost  all  the  soils, 
the  farmers  recognize  that  the  Sassafras  loam  and  silt  loam  are 
the  best  types  for  the  production  of  corn,  wheat,  and  hay.  Fruit 
growing  has  been  confined  generally  to  the  Sassafras  sandy  loam 
and  loam,  while  strawberries  are  planted  mostly  on  the  Portsmouth 
soils.  Wheat  and  grass  are  said  to  be  the  best  crops  for  the  Elkton 
soils,  though  corn  and  tomatoes  are  also  produced  extensively. 
Wheat  is  seldom  grown  on  the  sandier  soils  of  the  county,  but  sweet 
potatoes,  watermelons,  and  cantaloupes  do  well  on  these  types. 

Young  apple  and  peach  orchards  are  usually  intercropped  for  5 
or  6  years,  generally  with  com,  potatoes,  or  tomatoes.  Many  of  the 
farmers  grow  beans,  cowpeas,  or  soy  beans  for  seed.  Sometimes  rye 
is  sown  to  be  turned  imder  as  a  cover  crop. 

Practically  all  of  the  corn  crop  is  cut  for  fodder.  Frequently  it 
is  topped  and  the  blades  removed  from  the  remainder  of  the  stalk. 
In  some  cases  a  corn  cutter  is  used  in  harvesting  the  crop,  but  usually 
it  is  cut  by  hand.     . 

The  land  for  corn  is  plowed  to  a  depth  of  about  4  to  6  inches,  the 
seed  bed  prepared  by  harrowing  and  rolling,  and  the  seed  planted  in 
checks  about  the  1st  of  May.  The  crop  usually  receives  8  to  4  culti- 
vations. In  the  fall  much  of  the  corn  land  is  used  for  wheat.  It  is 
usually  rebroken  and  the  seed  bed  Avorkcd  up  in  about  the  same  way 
as  for  corn.  Wheat  is  sown  from  September  20  to  the  middle  of 
October. 

Peas  for  the  cannery  are  usually  drilled  with  a  wheat  drill  or  sown 
broadcast  on  a  well-prepared  seed  bed.  The  crop  is  cut  between  the 
1st  and  the  15th  of  June  and  hauled  to  the  factory,  where  the  peas 


^**''^-    SOIL  SURVEY   OF   KENT   COUNTY,    DELAWARE.  11 

are  hulled.  After  the  peas  are  harvested  tlie  land  is  used  for  sugar 
corn  or  tomatoes. 

In  general,  the  farms  are  supplied  with  adequate  machinery  and 
have  fairly  good  buildings.  The  number  of  silos  is  increasing.  A 
few  fanners  are  using  ti-actoi-s  and  many  own  automobiles. 

Considei-able  attention  is  given  to  crop  rotation.  A  3-year  rotation 
consisting  of  corn,  wheat,  and  clover  is  popular.  The  com  is  fol- 
lowed in  the  fall  by  wheat,  and  clover  sown  broadcast  in  the 
wheat  fields  the  following  March.  The  next  year  the  clover  is  cut 
for  hay  or  pastuiid,  and  the  field  is  usually  left  until  the  following 
spring  licfore  being  broken  for  corn.  Sometimes  a  crop  of  hay  is 
cut  before  the  land  is  plowed  for  corn.  A  5-year  rotation,  consisting 
of  corn  for  one  year,  followed  with  wheat  for  one  or  two  years,  and 
this  by  clover  for  two  or  three  years,  is  also  used.  In  this  rotation 
the  clover  is  cut  for  hay  the  first  year,  and  used  for  pasture  the 
second.  On  some  farms  the  general  crops  are  changed  from  j'ear  to 
3'ear,  but  no  regular  rotation  is  followed.  In  truck  farming  also  no 
fixed  rotation  is  followed,  but  the  usual  i)ractice  is  to  grow  sweet 
potatoes  for  a  number  of  seasons  on  the  same  land,  while  peas  are 
usually  grown  2  or  3  years  in  succession. 

According  to  the  census,  over  79  per  cent  of  all  the  farm.s  in  Kent 
County  used  commercial  fertilizer  in  1909,  with  a  total  expenditure 
of  $-254,750,  or  $102.81  each.  The  application  of  fertilizer  is  de- 
termined more  by  the  crop  grown  than  by  the  character  and  condi- 
tion of  the  soil.  The  fertilizer  is  obtained  from  dry-mixing  plants 
scattered  throughout  the  county  which  mix  it  according  to  the 
farmer's  demand,  or  from  the  large  city  dealers  who  ship  ready  mixed 
standard  brands.  About  300  to  400  pounds  per  acre  of  a  1-10  ^  mix- 
ture is  generally  used  for  wheat,  but  many  farmers  prefer  14  to  16  per 
cent  rock  phosphate.  Corn  as  a  rule  is  not  fertilized.  About  800  to 
1,200  pounds  per  acre  is  used  for  sweet  potatoes,  and  800  to  1,000 
pounds  for  Irish  potatoes.  An  acreage  application  of  400  to  600 
pounds  of  a  2-10  mixture  is  made  for  tomatoes,  and  one  of  about  400 
pounds  for  peas.  Manure  is  used  when  available,  and  legumes  are 
often  grown  for  enriching  the  soil.  Cover  crops  are  also  turned  under 
occasionally.  Lime  is  applied  on  most  of  T;he  soils  and  is  used  ex- 
tensively in  the  western  part  of  the  county.  The  applications  are 
(juite  variable,  but  many  farmers  apply  700  to  1,000  pounds  per 
acre  every  3  or  4  years,  while  2,000  pounds  per  acre  is  not  un- 
common on  some  of  the  poorly  drained  areas.  Under  ordinary  con- 
ditions potash  is  frequently  an  important  part  of  the  fertilizers. 

The  1910  census  reports  $464,645  spent  for  labor  in  1909,  on  1,958 
farms.  In  normal  times  it  is  not  diflicult  to  obtain  labor.  Many 
of  the  farm  laborers  are  neffrocs. 


•  One   per   cent   ammonia   and    10    per   cent   available    phosphoric    acid.      Little    or    no 
potash  was  obtainable  in  1018, 


12  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1918. 

The  average  size  of  the  farms  of  Kent  County  is  gradnally  de- 
creasing. In  1880  the  average  farm  contained  129  acres;  in  1900, 
120.19  acres,  and  in  1910,  107.5  acres.  In  1910,  49.6  per  cent  of  the 
farms  were  operated  by  owners.  Most  of  the  farms  that  are  rented 
are  handled  on  a  share  system,  the  owner  usually  receiving  one-half 
of  the  crop. 

Land  values  vary  according  to  the  location,  the  general  improve- 
ments, and  the  character  of  the  soil,  and  are  subject  to  a  wide  range. 
The  best  farms,  consisting  of  the  Sassafras  soils,  sell  for  over  $100 
an  acre,  while  some  of  the  inferior  farms  on  the  poorly  drained  soils 
sell  as  low  as  $15  an  acre.  The  census  of  1910  gives  the  average 
assessed  land  value  per  acre  as  $33.20. 

SOILS. 

Kent  County  lies  entirely  in  tlie  Coastal  Plain  province.  This 
region  was  at  one  time  submerged  in  the  sea,  during  which  stage 
various  sediments  washed  down  from  the  older  land  regions  ac- 
cumulated. Later  the  land  surface  was  elevated  above  sea  level 
and  the  deposits  subjected  to  change  through  ages  of  weathering, 
erosion,  and  plant  growth. 

The  soils  of  this  count}^  all  of  which  have  been  derived  from 
these  sedimentary  materials,  are  classified  in  13  types,  with  2  phases, 
and  1  miscellaneous  types.  The  types  and  phases  are  grouped  in 
four  series.  A  series  includes  types  which  are  similar  in  color, 
origin,  structure,  and  mode  of  formation.  The  types  in  a  series 
differ  solely  in  texture — that  is,  in  the  proportion  of  the  various- 
sized  particles  which  make  up  the  soil  mass.  When  a  difference 
is  not  sufficient  to  warrant  establishing  a  distinct  type  the  material 
is  recognized  as  a  phase  of  an  existing  type.  The  miscellaneous  ma- 
terials, which  are  not  classified  on  a  textural  basis,  consist  of  Meadow, 
Swamp,  Tidal  marsh,  and  Coastal  beach.  They  represent  the  most 
recent  deposits  and  include  areas  which,  in  their  present  condi- 
tion, are  mainly  nonagricultural. 

In  this  county  topographic  position  and  drainage  have  probably 
been  the  greatest  factors  in  determining  soil  differences.  Where 
the  best  drainage  conditions  have  existed  the  Sassafras  series  of 
soils  has  been  developed;  where  drainage  has  been  less  adequate 
the  materials  give  rise  to  soils  of  the  Elkton  series,  and  where 
drainage  has  been  very  imperfect  the  soils  have  the  characteristics  of 
the  Portsmouth  series.  The  Leonardtown  soils  have  good  surface 
drainage,  but  the  internal  drainage  is  similar  to  that  of  the  Elkton 
soils. 

The  soils  of  the  Sassafras  series  are  brown  to  gray,  and  the  sub- 
soils yellowish  brown  to  reddish  yellow,  the  material  usually  becom- 


SOIL   RTTRVF.Y   OF   KENT   COUNTY,   DELAWARE.  13 

ing  redder  in  the  lower  part  of  the  3-foot  ])rofile.  The  material  is 
slightly  micaceous  and  (luitc  permeable.  The  surface  soil  is  moder- 
ately low  in  organic  matter,  but  friable  and  retentive  of  moisture. 
The  upper  subsoil,  except  in  the  sand  and  loamy  sand  types,  is 
heavier  and  more  comj)ait  than  the  surface  soil,  but  the  lower  sub- 
soil is  lighter  textured,  sometimes  gritty  or  gravelly,  and  in  all  cases 
more  open  and  porous  than  the  overlying  material.  The  topography 
is  level  to  undulating  or  slightly  rolling  in  places,  and  the  drainage 
as  a  whole  good.  These  are  among  the  best  soils  in  the  county. 
They  are  mapped  in  most  parts  of  the  county,  but  are  most  promi- 
nent in  the  eastern  half. 

The  Leonai'dtown  soils  are  generallj'  brown  to  gi-ayish  brown  in 
color,  with  a  teiulency  to  become  grayish  when  dry.  The  surface 
soil  is  usually  rather  frial)le.  The  subsfoil  is  pale  yellow  or  brownish 
yellow,  heavier  in  texture  than  the  surface  soil,  and  mottled  with 
gi'ay  or  pale  yellow  below  20  inches.  The  lower  subsoil  generally 
shows  a  more  gray  color  and  frequently  consists  of  lighter  textui-ed, 
sandier  material  than  the  upper  portion.  Pockets  or  thin  strata  of 
material  of  variable  texture  may  occur  throughout  the  3-foot  sec- 
tion. A  level  to  slightly  undulating  topograi)hy  characterizes  these 
soils.  The  surface  drainage  is  good  to  moderate,  but  that  of  the  sub- 
soil is  imperfect. 

The  types  of  the  Elkton  series  typically  have  gray  surface  soils 
with  subsoils  showing  more  or  less  mottling  with  various  colors, 
usually  gray,  light  gray,  and  pale  yellow.  The  types  are  usually 
silty,  very  low  in  organic  matter,  and  deficient  in  lime.  The  subsoil 
is  heavier  and  more  compact  than  the  surface  soil,  but  in  the  lower 
depths  of  the  3-foot  section  it  passes  into  sandier  material  which 
frequently  is  quite  moist,  or  even  saturated.  The  topography  of 
these  soils  is  flat,  and  both  the  surface  drainage  and  underdrainage 
are  ix)or.  This  apparently  has  affected  the  physical  condition  of  the 
soil  mass.  The  timber  growth  coiisists  largely  of  deciduous  trees, 
with  white  oak  the  principal  variety. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Portsmouth  types  is  black  or  veiy  dark 
gray,  and  higli  in  organic  matter.  The  subsoil  is  prevailingly  gray, 
more  or  less  mottled  with  yellow,  and  as  a  whole  heavier  in  texture 
than  the  surface.  In  many  places  the  lower  subsoil  is  more  sandy 
than  the  overlying  material,  and  it  is  usually  saturated.  The  Ports- 
mouth soils  arc  confined  to  wet,  depressed  areas  where  drainage  is 
very  imperfect  both  on  the  surface  and  internally.  Ditching  or 
tiling  is  necessary  befoie  they  can  be  used  for  agriculture. 

In  the  following  chai)ters  of  this  re])ort  the  various  soils  of  Kent 
County  are  described  in  detail  and  their  agricultural  value  discussed. 


14 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1918. 


The  following  table  gives  the  name  and  the  actual  and  relative  ex- 
tent of  each  soil : 

Areas  of  dilfe7'cnt  soils. 


Soil. 


Sassafras  sandy  loam  — 
Deep  phase 

Elkton  sandy  loam 

Tidal  marsh 

Sassafras  loam 

Sassafras  silt  loam 

Level  phase 

Sassafras  loamy  sand . . . 

Portsmouth  sandy  loam 

Elkton  loam 

Portsmouth  silt  loam.  - . 


104, 
4, 
51, 
45, 
30, 
19, 
4, 
24, 
17, 
Ifi, 
14, 


Per 

cent. 


Soil. 


28. 9 

1.3.5 
12.0 

8.2 

0.3 

fi.3 

4.7 
4.3 
3.8 


Elkton  silt  loam 

Swamp 

Meadow 

Portsmouth  loam 

I..eonardtown  sandy  loam 

Leonard  town  loam 

Sassafras  sand 

Coastal  beach 

Total 


Acres. 


Per 
cent. 


3.2 

2.8 

2.2 

1.7 

.7 

.6 

.6 

.2 


SASSAFRAS   SAND, 

The  Sassafras  sand,  to  a  depth  ranging  from  2  to  8  inches,  is  pre- 
dominantly ii  brownish-gray  mediiim-textnred  sand,  though  in 
patches  it  carries  small  quantities  of  gravel  and  is  coarser  in  tex- 
ture. The  soil  is  very  loose  and  is  low  in  organic  matter.  The  sub- 
soil is  a  yellowish-brown  to  orange-colored  loose  sand,  which  usually 
continues  uniform  to  de^pths  below  3G  inches  or  becomes  more  reddisli 
and  in  many  places  coarser.  In  plapes  it  approaches  the  color  of  the 
Norfolk  sand ;  that  is,  it  has  a  more  grayish  surface  soil  and  a  yel- 
lower subsoil,  but  it  always  retains  a  tinge  of  brown  and  is  slightly 
more  loamy  than  the  typical  Norfolk.  In  the  vicinity  of  Williams- 
ville  the  type  as  mapped  includes  small  bodies  of  the  deep  phase  of 
the  Sassafras  sandy  loam.  Here  a  clay  subsoil  is  sometimes  en- 
countered at  a  depth  of  30  to  36  inches. 

The  Sassafras  sand  occurs  only  in  the  southern  part  of  the  county. 
Small  areas  are  mapped  northeast  and  northwest  of  Mil  ford,  the  lat- 
ter near  Church  Hill  School.  The  type  also  occurs  around  Williams- 
ville,  in  the  vicinity  of  Harrington,  south  of  Murderkill  River,  south- 
west of  Killen  Pond,  and  along  the  western  boundary  of  the  county. 

The  Sassafras  sand  occupies  the  more  rolling  and  undulating  areas 
of  the  county.  It  usually  lies  on  the  slightly  higher  elevations,  for 
the  most  part  on  Imolls  and  ridges,  in  close  association  with  the  other 
Sassafras  soils.  The  drainage  is  excessive,  and  the  type  as  a  whole  is 
adapted  only  to  the  growing  of  special  crops  or  to  the  gefneral  crops 
in  wet  seasons. 

Practically  all  the  Sassafras  sand  is  in  cultivation,  only  a  small 
projDortion  being  covered  with  the  original  timber,  which  consisted 
largely  of  pine,  with  some  oak,  dogwood,  sassafras,  and  various  other 
deciduous  trees.  The  tree  growth  is  not  so  vigorous  as  that  on  the 
other  Sassafras  types. 


^^'"■fc'fcfiOIL  SURVr.Y   OF   KENT   COUNTY,   DELAWARE.  15 

This  is  an  excellent,  soil  for  sweet  potatoes,  cantaloupes,  and  water- 
melons, but  it  is  of  little  importance  for  llu'  t:;cneral  farm  crops. 
Sweet  potatoes,  the  principal  crop,  yield  250  to  300  baskets  per  acre. 
Berries,  Irish  potatoes,  cucumbei-s,  tomatoes,  and  other  special  crops 
do  well.  Cowpeas  and  soy  beans  are  grown  to  some  extent  as  cover 
crops.  The  soil  is  well  aerated  and  easily  penetrated  by  roots.  It  is 
warm,  early,  and  easily  tilled,  but  it  needs  more  liberal  fertilization 
than  the  other  Sassafras  soils.  It  responds  well  to  stable  manure 
and  n-reen  manure.  Fertilizer  is  applied  at  the  rate  of  1,000  pounds 
or  more  per  acre  in  gi'owing  sweet  potatoes. 

A  few  small  bodies  of  Norfolk  sand,  occurring  south  of  Murder- 
kill  River,  3  miles  south  of  Felton,  and  2\  miles  southwest  of 
Houston,  are  included  with  the  Sassafras  sand.  The  soil  consists  of 
:i  lij-ayish  sand  undeilain  at  3  to  G  inches  by  a  yellow  sand,  slightly 
loimiy  in  ])laces,  which  continues  uniform  in  color  and  texture  to 
depths  below  36  inches.  In  places  the  subsoil  has  a  faint  tinge  of 
brown.  The  soil  is  a  cleaner,  less  loamy  sand  than  the  Sassafras 
sand  and  contains  a  larger  percentage  of  quartz  particles.  This  soil 
occurs  in  close  association  with  the  Sassafras  soils  and  occupies 
slightly  undulating  areas  which  are  moderately  well  drained.  It 
is  adapted  to  the  same  general  crops  as  the  Sassafras  sand  and  is 
of  similar  agricultural  value,  but  needs  the  addition  of  organic 
matter. 

SASSAFRAS    LOAMY    SAND. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  typical  Sassafras  loamy  sand  consists  of  a 
loose  sand  to  loamy  sand,  grayish  brown  to  light  brown  in  color. 
Fre(|uently  the  surface  material  has  a  distinctly  grayish  appearance 
wdien  dry.  The  soil  is  usually  of  medium  texture,  but  it  is  not 
uncommon  to  find  small  areas  of  coarse-textured  material  as  well  as 
patches  where  the  gravel  content  is  quite  pronounced.  The  soil  has 
a  low  content  of  organic  matter.  At  6  to  10  inches  it  gi'ades  into  a 
yellowish-brown  or  reddish-yellow  loamy  sand,  which  usually  con- 
tinues uniform  in  texture  to  a  depth  of  24  to  30  inches,  where  the 
material  has  a  tendency  to  become  coarser,  often  gi-avelly,  and  more 
porous.     Also  the  lower  subsoil  is  frequently  more  reddish. 

There  are  a  number  of  variations  in  this  soil.  In  places  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  county  the  surface  2  to  6  inches  is  frequently 
a  gray  sand  or  loamy  sand,  much  like  the  surface  soil  of  the  Norfolk 
sand.  In  a  few  areas,  such  as  that  northeast  of  Milford,  the  upper 
subsoil  is  quite  heavy  textured,  consisting  in  some  instances  of  a 
light  sandy  loam.  Crops  in  such  places  usually  do  better  than  else- 
where, as  the  soil  is  able  to  retain  more  moisture.  In  the  section 
south  of  Williamsville  and  Harrington  the  type  in  places  has  poorer 
drainage  than  the  average.  The  surface  soil  and  ujjper  subsoil  here 
are  much  like  those  of  the  Norfolk  soils,  but  the  reddish-yellow 


16  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OE   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1918. 

lower  subsoil,  which  is  a  prominent  feature  of  the  Sassafras  series, 
is  quite  well  developed.  In  a  few  places  very  small  areas  of  the  deep 
phase  of  the  Sassafras  sandy  loam  are  included. 

The  Sassafras  loamy  sand  is  largely  confined  to  the  southern  part 
of  the  county,  but  small  irregular  areas  are  encountered  along  stream 
courses  in  various  parts  of  the  county  where  the  Sassafras  soils 
predominate.  The  most  extensive  bodies  occur  north  and  northeast 
of  Harrington  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Houston.  Small  areas  are 
mapped  northwest  of  Milford,  along  Cow  Marsh  Ditch  and  Tanner 
Branch,  and  near  the  western  boundary  in  the  vicinity  of  Marydel. 
The  type  is  also  encountered  along  stream  courses  in  the  vicinity  of 
Canterbury  and  Marshyhope  Creek  in  the  southwestern  part  of  the 
county. 

On  the  whole,  the  surface  is  undulating,  even  on  many  of  the 
slopes  adjacent  to  the  stream  courses,  but  some  of  the  areas  are 
nearly  level  and  even  contain  slight  depressions,  and  here  the  drain- 
age is  poorer.  The  greater  part  of  the  type  has  good  to  excessive 
drainage,  and  during  short  periods  of  drought  crops  often  suffer. 

The  type  is  not  so  extensively  used  for  agriculture  as  the  heavier 
textured  Sassafras  soils;  probably  25  per  cent  of  it  is  j^et  covered 
with  timber.  The  natural  growth  consists  of  pine  intermixed  with 
such  trees  as  oak,  hickory,  red  haw,  dogwood,  and  sassafras.  Corn  is 
grown  quite  extensively,  and  some  wheat  is  produced.  Sweet  po- 
tatoes, an  important  crop,  yield  exceptionally  well.  Considerable 
quantities  of  tomatoes  are  produced,  and  peas  and  sweet  corn  are 
also  grown  for  canning.  The  soil  is  warm  natured  and  early  and 
well  adapted  to  truck  crops.  Berries  do  well,  and  considerable  fruit 
is  grown-  Cowpeas,  soy  beans,  and  rye  are  grown  by  many  farmers 
as  cover  crops. 

About  the  same  amounts  of  fertilizer  are  applied  for  the  various 
crops  as  on  the  Sassafras  sandy  loam.  On  the  whole,  the  yields  of 
the  general  farm  crops  are  lower,  but  the  soil  is  easily  tilled  and  can 
be  satisfactorily  cultivated  under  a  wide  range  of  moisture  conditions. 

Land  prices  are  prevailingly  lower  than  on  the  sandy  loam  type. 

The  productiveness  of  the  Sassafras  loamy  sand  can  be  increased 
by  the  more  extensive  growing  of  legumes,  which  would  increase  the 
nitrogen  and  organic  content  of  the  soil  and  increase  its  power  to 
hold  moisture. 

SASSAFRAS    SANDY   LOAM. 

The  Sassafras  sandy  loam  in  its  most  typical  development  is  a  light- 
brown  to  brown  loamy  sand  or  sandy  loam,  underlain  at  8  to  10  inches 
by  reddish-yellow  or  yellowish-brown  heavy  sandy  loam  to  sandy 
clay  loam.  This  passes  abruptly  into  reddish-yellow  to  yellowish- 
red  friable  sandy  clay,  which  in  turn  gives  way  at  any  depth  from 
20  to  30  inches  to  dull-red  or  reddish-yellow  sandy  loam,  coarse  sandy_ 
loam,  or  coarse  loamy  sand.     Frequently  the  soil  is  a  heavy  sandy 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF  KENT  COUNTY,  DELAWARE.  17 

loam,  making  it  difficult  to  draw  sharp  boumlaries  between  this  type 
and  the  Sassafras  loam.  Small  flakes  of  mica  are  often  noticeable 
through  the  soil  and  subsoil,  as  is  true  of  all  the  Sassafras  soils. 

As  a  rule,  the  surface  is  free  from  gravel,  but  occasionally  small 
areas  are  encountered  which  are  quite  gravelh'.  They  usually  occur 
on  the  slopes  near  the  stream  coui"ses.  The  gravel  consists  of  rounded 
quartz,  flint,  and  chert.  The  upper  subsoil  is  much  more  compact 
than  the  sui-face  soil,  but  the  lower  part  of  the  3-foot  section  is 
looser  than  the  upper  subsoil,  on  account  of  its  coarser  texture. 
Clayey,  sandy,  and  gi-avelly  strata,  of  variable  thickness,  compose 
the  substratum;  that  is,  the  material  below  the  8-foot  section. 

In  various  places  the  type  includes  small  bodies  of  the  Elkton 
sandy  loam,  which  occupies  slight  depressions  that  can  not  well  be 
separated  on  the  map.  Such  inclusions  are  quite  connnon  in  the 
region  southwest  of  Cheswold  and  along  the  westei-n  boimdary  north- 
west of  Ilartle}'.  In  an  area  north  of  Dover  the  lower  subsoil  in  a  few 
l^laces  contains  gray  mottlings  and  resembles  the  subsoil  of  the  Leon- 
ardtown  series.  In  the  soulherji  part  of  the  county  many  areas  occur 
where  the  surface  soil  is  deeper  than  typical  and  in  which  the  subsoil 
frequently  is  not  so  heavy  in  texture  as  the  average  of  the  type.  In 
places  these  areas  approach  the  Sassafras  loamy  sajid  in  appearance. 

The  Sassafras  sand}^  loam  is  the  most  extensive  soil  in  the 
county,  and  it  is  quite  important  agriculturally.  It  is  developed 
in  numerous  large  areas  in  the  vicinity  of  Milford,  and  important 
bodies  also  are  mapped  in  the  locality  east  of  the  Pennsylvania  Eail- 
road,  between  St.  Jones  Creek^and  Murderkill  River.  This  is  the 
predominating  soil  between  I^eipsic  and  Smyrna,  and  between 
Smyrna  and  Kenton,  while  small  irregular  areas  (wcur  northwest 
of  Kenton  and  west  of  Petersburg.  A  narrow  belt  extends  south 
of  Hai-rington  to  the  county  line,  and  the  type  is  quite  extensive 
near  the  State  boundary  in  the  locality  of  Whiteleysburg.  Numerous 
areas  are  found  along  Mai'shyhope  Creek  south  of  Anderson  S('lu)ol. 

The  Sassafras  sandy  loam  occupies  flat  to  sliglitly  undulating 
positions  which  range  from  the  level  of  Tidal  marsh  to  the  highest 
elevations  in  the  county.  In  general,  the  surface  is  not  so  smooth 
as  that  of  tlie  loam  and  silt  loam  types,  but  it  is  not  sufficiently  roll- 
ing to  cause  erosion.  The  drainage  is  generally  good,  owing  in  large 
part  to  the  coarse,  porous,  open  substratum,  but  this  does  not  result 
in  droughtiuess,  as  the  friable,  heavy-textured  subsoil  is  retentive  of 
moisture.  The  type  can  be  tilled  under  a  wide  range  of  moisture 
conditions,  and  it  is  not  uncommon  to  see  fanners  begin  cultivation 
a  few  hours  after  a  heavy  rainfall. 

This  is  recognized  as  one  of  the  most  important  soils  of  the  county. 
Probably  70  to  75  per  cent  of  it  is  under  cultivation.    The  rest  is  in 


18  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1918.        - 

forest.  In  its  native  state  the  type  supports  a  growth  consisting 
mostly  of  pine,  with  more  or  less  oak,  poplar,  and  other  deciduous 
trees.  The  principal  general-farm  crops  consist  of  corn,  wheat, 
clover,  and  timothy  hay.  Tomatoes  for  canning  are  a  very  im- 
portant crop,  and  sweet  corn  and  peas  are  grown  to  some  extent  for 
the  same  purpose.  Numerous  peach,  pear,  and  apple  orchards  have 
been  developed,  and  grapes  are  grown  in  some  localities.  Berries  of 
all  kinds,  Irish  potatoes,  watermelons,  cantahiupes,  and  other  garden 
truck  do  well,  but  are  of  little  commercial  importance.  Consider- 
able quantities  of  sweet  potatoes  are  grown,  but  the  soil  is  not  so 
well  adapted  to  this  crop  as  are  the  lighter  textured  types.  Alfalfa 
is  grown  to  a  small  extent  and  a.ppears  to  do  well. 

Crop  yields  are  subject  to  much  variation,  depending  upon  the 
weather  conditions,  the  fertilizers  used,  and  the  soil  management, 
but  under  average  conditions  the  ordinary  yield  of  wheat  per  acre  is 
estimated  at  15  to  18  bushels,  corn  25  to  35  bushels,  hay  three-fourths 
to  1^  tons,  and  tomatoes  4  to  8  tons.  Alfalfa  is  cut  three  to  four 
times  during  the  season  and  yields  from  three-fourths  to  1  ton  per 
cutting. 

The  same  general  farming  methods  are  followed  as  on  the  other 
Sassafras  soils.  While  more  easily  tilled,  the  type  probably  requires 
more  liberal  fertilization  than  the  heavier  members  of  the  series. 
About  300  to  400  pounds  per  acre  is  used  for  wheat  and  heavier  appli- 
cations for  sweet  potatoes  and  tomatoes.  Corn  is  seldom  fertilized. 
Stable  manure  is  used  where  available.  Lime  is  sometimes  applied  at 
the  rate  of  800  to  1,000  pounds  per  acre. 

The  selling  value  of  this  land  varies  according  to  the  location, 
the  iuq^rovements,  and'  the  soil  fertility,  but  usually  ranges  from 
$50  to  $100  an  acre. 

The  growing  of  more  legumes  would  probably  be  a  great  aid  in 
increasing  crop  production  on  this  soil. 

Sassafras  sandy  loaonri^  deep  pJia.se. — The  deep  phase  is  character- 
ized by  a  greater  depth  to  clay  and  by  a  prevailingly  lighter  colored 
surface  soil  than  the  typical  Sassafras  sandy  loam.  From  6  to  8 
inches  it  is  a  brownish-gray  to  gray  sand  or  loamy  sand,  which  when 
dry  becomes  distinctly  gray  at  the  immediate  surface,  much  like  the 
Norfolk  soils.  It  is  lower  in  organic  matter  and  less  retentive  of 
moisture  than  the  typical  sandy  loam.  The  surface  soil  is  underlain 
by  a  grayish-brown  or  yellowish-brown,  sometimes  yellow,  loamy 
sand  which  passes  at  18  to  2-1  inches  into  reddish-brown  or  reddish- 
yellow  material  ranging  in  texture  from  light  sandy  loam  to  sandy 
clay.  Usually  at  about  30  inches  the  subsoil  becomes  much  redder 
and  more  porous,  changing  to  a  coarse  sand  or  coarse  sandy  loam. 
In  many  places  gravel  is  encountered  at  about  3  feet. 

The  deep  phase  is  confined  to  the  southern  part  of  the  county  and 
is  found  in  tlic  vicinity  of  Houston,  northwest  of  Milford,  and  east 


SOIL  SURVF.Y   OF   KENT    COUNTY,   DRLAWAER.  19 

and  northeast  of  Canterbury.  The  topo^rapliy  is  about  the  same  as 
that  of  the  typical  sandy  loam,  thoiiirh  in  a  few  places  it  is  more 
undulating.  The  drainage  is  good.  The  soil  is  used  for  the  same 
general  crops  as  the  typical  sandy  loam,  but  the  yields  are  generally 
somewhat  lower. 

SASSAFRAS  LOAM. 

The  soil  of  the  Sassafras  loam  is  a  brown,  mellow  loam,  generally 
free  from  gravel  and  having  a  good  supply  of  organic  matter.  It 
is  underlain  at  an  average  depth  of  about  10  inches  by  reddish-yellow 
or  yellow  clay  loam  to  sandy  clay  loam,  which  grades  into  reddish- 
yellow  to  yellowish-red  friable  silty  clay  or  sandy  clay.  At  24  to 
30  inches  the  subsoil  passes  into  a  more  friable,  coarse  layer  of 
material  consisting  of  sandy  loam,  loamy  sand,  or  coarse  loamy  sand, 
which  has  a  more  reddish  color  than  the  overlying  material.  This 
lower  subsoil  is  a  marked  feature  of  the  type,  there  being  very  few 
places  where  it  is  not  reached  within  the  3-foot  section.  In  places 
it  contains  some  gravel.  Frequently  this  coarser  subsoil  is  more 
compact  than  the  upper  subsoil,  but  upon  removal  it  is  rather  loose. 

In  some  ^daces  the  Sassafras  loam  and  sandy  loam  are  so  closely 
associated  that  the  boundanes  between  the  two  types  are  indefinite, 
and  doubtless  small  parts  of  the  sandy  loam  are  included  with  this 
t3'pe.  On  the  north  and  south  sides  of  Sewell  Branch,  near  the 
county  boundary  where  the  type  occupies  rolling  areas,  small  patches 
of  sandy  loam  occur  on  the  higher  elevations. 

The  Sassafras  loam  is  largely  confined  to  a  belt  extending  north- 
west from  Murdcrkill  Neck  to  the  county  boundary.  It  is  most 
extensive  in  the  locality  west  and  southwest  of  Dover,  while  numer- 
ous irregidar-shaped  areas  occur  south  and  southwest  of  Smyrna. 
Other  bodies  are  found  southeast  of  Cheswold,  in  the  vicinity  of 
Magnolia,  and  north  of  Canterbury. 

In  places  the  surface  is  level  or  nearly  so,  but  the  type  in  general 
is  undulating  to  slightly  rolling  and  well  drained.  It  lies  higher 
than  the  silt  loam,  and  the  air  circulation  is  good.  The  type  retains 
moisture  quite  well,  and  it  is  able  to  withstand  droughts  better  than 
the  sandy  loam  or  loamy  sand.  The  surface  soil  is  seldom  subject 
to  baking  or  clodding  except  in  a  few  of  the  flatter  areas,  and  cul- 
tivation is  rather  easy. 

Agriculturally,  the  type  is  very  similar  to  the  Sassafras  silt  loam, 
but  it  is  a  warmer  soil  and  crops  have  a  tendency  to  mature  earlier. 
On  the  whole,  the  yields  are  smaller.  This  is  ranked  by  farmers  as 
the  principal  fruit  soil  of  the  county,  and  it  is  used  rather  extensively 
for  the  production  of  apples,  peaches,  and  pears.  Berries  and  grapes 
are  produced  to  a  small  extent,  AVheat,  com,  and  hay  are  the  ])rin- 
cipal  farm  crops.  Corn  yields  30  to  35  bushels  per  acre;  wheat,  16 
to  20  bushels;  and  hay,  consisting  of  clover  and  timothy,  about  U 
to  1|  tons.   -Yields  of  30  bushels  or  more  of  wheat  per  acre  are  not 


20  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,  1918. 

uncommon  in  the  best  years  on  well-managed  farms.  Some  alfalfa, 
buckwheat,  cowpeas,  soy  beans,  and  potatoes  and  various  other  vege- 
tables are  produced.  Tomatoes  are  a  very  important  crop,  giving 
slightly  heavier  yields  than  on  the  sandy  loam.  Many  of  the  farm- 
ers keep  a  few  dairy  cows,  but  dairying  is  not  a  well-developed 
industry. 

Land  of  the  Sassafras  loam  used  for  general  farm  crops  sells  for 
$85  to  $120  an  acre.  Land  in  orchards  brings  higher  prices,  which 
vary  widely  with  the  condition  and  character  of  the  trees. 

SASSAFRAS   SILT  I,OAM. 

The  Sassafras  silt  loam  consists  of  a  brown  to  slightly  yellowish- 
brown  friable  silt  loam,  in  many  places  containing  a  relatively  large 
proportion  of  very  fine  sand.  In  practically  all  places  the  type  is 
free  from  gravel.  The  content  of  organic  matter  is  higher  than  in 
any  other  member  of  the  Sassafras  series.  At  8  to  12  inches  the  soil 
passes  into  a  smooth  yellowish-browni  to  almost  yellow  silty  clay 
loam  which)  merges  wdth  slight  increase  in  depth  into  a  reddish-yellow, 
friable  silty  clay  or  clay  loam.  In  places  the  upper  subsoil  contains 
a  small  amount  of  gritty  material  and  it  is  more  compact  than  the 
surface  soil,  though  friable  when  dry  if  not  previously  puddled.  At 
depths  of  about  28  to  3G  inches  the  material  changes  in  color  to  yel- 
lowish*red  or  dull  red  and  in  texture  to  sandy  loam  or  loamy  sand, 
or  into  a  reddish-yellow  silty  clay  loam,  silt  loam,  or  even  very  fine 
sandy  loam. 

The  Sassafras  silt  loam  is  not  so  extensive  as  the  sandy  loam,  but 
it  is  an  important  soil.  It  is  largely  confined  to  a  belt  bordering  the 
marsh  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  county,  extending  from  Murder- 
kill  Neck  north  to  the  county  boundary.  Irregular-shaped  bodies 
occur  on  Raymonds  Neck  north  of  Leipsic,  while  similar  areas  are 
found  between  Leipsic  and  Little  Creek.  The  type  predominates  on 
St.  Jones  Neck  in  the  locality  east  and  southeast  of  Dover.  Small 
tracts  are  encountered  on  the  extreme  point  of  Murderkill  Neck, 
while  a  few  minor  areas  are  mapped  bordering  the  Tidal  marsh 
north  of  Bowers  Beach. 

The  type  as  a  whole  occupies  lower  positions  than  the  sandy  loam, 
being  most  extensive  oh  the  necks  which  extend  into  the  Tidal  marsh 
Ijetween  the  drainage  ways.  It  occu])ies  faintly  undulating  to  level 
areas  which  are  nevertheless  well  drained.  It  retains  moisture  excep- 
tionally well  and  is  probably  more  drought  resistant  than  any  other 
soil  in  the  county.  The  surface  of  unplowed  fields  tends  to  harden 
and  bake  more  readily  than  in  the  Sassafras  loam,  but  plowing  is 
not  difficult,  and  the  soil  ])ulverizes  (|uite  readily  with  cultivation. 

Practically  all  this  soil  is  under  cultivation,  and  exceptionally  high 
yields  of  the  general  farm  crops  are  obtained.  Corn,  wheat,  clover, 
and  timothy  hay  are  the  principal  crops.     Corn  yields  35  to  40 


SOIL  SURVEY  OF   KENT   COUNTY,   DELAWARE.  21 

bushels  per  iicre,  ulieat  '20  Imsliels  or  more,  and  hay  tVoin  1  to  li  tons. 
The  soil  is  partly  well  adapted  to  certain  ti-uc-k  crops.  Tomatoes  are 
an  important,  crop,  yielding  0  to  8  tons  per  acre.  Some  i)otatoi's  are 
grown,  but  the  yiekls  are  not  as  large  as  on  the  lighter  textured 
types.  xVlfalfa,  cowpeas,  and  soy  beans  ai-e  grown  to  a  small  extent. 
Tlie  soil  is  well  suited  to  fruits,  and  most  farms  have  small  orchards 
of  apples,  peaches,  and  pears.  Peaches  and  i)ears,  howe\er,  appear 
to  do  better  on  the  lighter  textured  soils.  Some  of  tlie  fai-mers  have 
a  few  dairy  cows.  This  soil  isexceptionally  well  adapted  to  dairying, 
since  it  aH'ords  good  pasturage  and  gives  good  yields  of  hay. 

The  same  general  methods  of  cultivation,  crop  rotation,  and  fer- 
tilization are  practiced  on  this  type  as  on  the  loam  and  sandy  loam. 
Fertilizers  give  more  lasting  results  than  on  the  soils  of  lighter 
texture. 

Land  values  are  subject  to  nnich  variation,  but  over  the  greater 
proportion  of  the  type  they  range  from  $75  to  $120  an  acre. 

In  places  this  soil  could  probably  be  improved  by  using  more  lime 
and  hy  growing  the  legume  croi)S  more  extensively.  Where  trans- 
portation conditions  permit,  the  dairy  industry  would  be  profitable 
and  would  incidentally  be  a  means  of  increasing  the  soil  produc- 
tiveness. 

/SV/6%sY//n/,y  silt  loam,  level  pha^se. — A  level  phase  of  the  Sassafras 
silt  loam  is  mapped  in  the  vicinity  of  Leipsic.  It  dift'ers  chiefly  in 
its  more  nearly  level  surface,  and  in  its  lighter-colored  lower  subsoil. 
In  most  places  the  soil  is  a  brown  friable  silt  loam  to  a  depth  of  10  to 
]-!  inches,  overlying  a  brownish-yellow  or  yellow  silt  loam  which 
passes  ({uickl}'  into  a  yellow  silty  clay  loam,  and  this  in  turn  into 
reddish-yellow  friable  silty  clay.  At  28  to  30  inches  the  material  is 
usually  pale  yellow  or  yellowish  gray  in  color  and  a  veiy  fhie  sandy 
loam  or  fine  sand  in  texture. 

This  phase  is  found  near  the  Tidal  marsh  or  adjacent  to  stream 
courses  in  the  same  general  locality  as  the  typical  Sassafras  silt 
loam.  It  is  liighly  productive  and  adapted  to  the  same  general 
crops  as  the  silt  loam. 

LEONATtnTOWN    SANDY    3.0AM. 

The  soil  of  the  Leonardtown  sandy  loam  is  a  light-brown  to 
grayish-i)rown  sandy  loam  with  an  average  deptli  of  about  10  inches. 
It  is  fi'iable  and  easy  to  cultivate.  The  subsoil  is  predominantly  a 
light  brownish-yellow  or  pale-yellow  sandy  loam  or  heavy  sandy 
loam,  which  in  most  areas  passes  into  a  mottled-grayish  and  yel- 
lowish sandy-clay  loam  at  a  depth  of  about  20  inches.  This  lower 
subsoil  is  more  compact  than  the  upper  portion,  and  the  lower  part 
of.  the  3-foot  section  is  generally  more  sandy  in  texture  and  gi-ayer 
in  coloi-.  It  is  not  unconnnon  to  find  thin  strata  or  pockets  of  ma- 
terial of  variable  texture  and  color  throughout  the  subsoil. 


22 


FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1918. 


The  tyiDe  is  closely  associated  with  the  Elkton  soils,  and  as  mapped 
includes  numerous  small  fiats  occupied  by  the  Elkton  sandy  loam. 
In  several  places  the  subsoil  does  not  have  the  pale-yellow  color  to  a 
depth  of  20  to  28  inches,  the  type  being  much  like  the  Sassafras 
loamy  sand  and  sandy  loam  in  both  texture  and  color,  but  below  this 
it  grades  into  a  mottled  gray  and  yellow  sandy  clay  or  clay  loam. 

The  Leonardtown  sandy  loam  occurs  in  small  irregidar  areas, 
most  of  which  are  widely  separated.  They  are  most  numerous  in  the 
country  west  of  Harrington  and  southwest  of  Houston.  Several 
areas  lie  in  the  vicinity  of  Wesleys  Schools,  as  well  as  around  Peters- 
burg and  south  of  Little  Creek.  A  small  one  lies  on  the  point  of 
Raymonds  Neck  and  another  southeast  of  Smyrna,  while  a  few  are 
mapped  along  Sewell  Branch. 

The  type  usually  lies  a  little  higher  than  the  Elkton  soils  and  a 
little  lower  than  the  Sassafras  soils.  Its  surface  is  slightly  undulat- 
ing, and  the  surface  drainage  is  moderate  to  good,  but  the  subsoil 
is  imperfectly  drained.  However,  the  imperfect  drainage  has  been 
relieved  somewhat  by  the  digging  of  drainage  ditches  in  various 
places.  The  type  is  not  very  impoitant  agi'iculturally  on, account  of 
its  small  extent.  Corn,  wheat,  and  hay  are  the  principal  crops,  but 
the  yields  are  lower  than  on  the  Sassafras  sandy  loam. 

The  following  table  gives  the  results  of  mechanical  analyses  of  the 
soil,  subsoil,  and  lov/er  subsoil  of  the  Leonardtown  sandy  loam : 

Mecluinical  analyses  of  Leonardtoicii  sandy  loam. 


Number. 

Description. 

Fine 
gravel. 

Coarse 
saud. 

Medium 
saud. 

Fiue 
sand. 

Very  fmo 
saud. 

Silt. 

Clay. 

l!)0336 

Soil 

Per  cent. 
3.0 
2.3 

.7 

Per  cent. 
15.8 
12.0 

4.8 

Per  cent. 
11.7 
10.1 
4.4 

Per  cent. 
27.2 
33.6 
57.0 

Per  cent. 
9.4 

11.0 

9.0 

Per  cent. 
28.9 
22.5 
14.6 

Per  cent. 
4  0 

190337 

8  6 

190338 

Lower  subsoil... 

9.4 

LEONARDTOWN    LOAM. 

The  Leonardtown  loam  to  a  depth  of  0  to  12  inches  is  predomi- 
nantly a  brown  or  light-brown  rather  friable  silty  loam.  When  dry, 
the  surface  soil  in  cultivated  fields  has  a  grayish  appearance,  but  it 
becomes  deeper  brown  when  wet.  The  subsoil  typically  consists  of  a 
l)ale-yelloAV  or  slightly  brownish  yelloAV  clay  loam  to  silty  cla}',  usu- 
ally mottled  with  grayish  and  yellowish  colors  at  depths  of  IG  to  24 
inches.  Commonly  the  gray  is  more  in  evidence  in  the  low^er  subsoil. 
At  30  to  36  inches  sandy  loam  or  loamy  sand  is  reached.  The  subsoil 
contains  in  many  places  strata  or  pockets  of  lighter  or  darker  colored 
material  which  is  always  lighter  or  heavier  in  texture  than  the  re- 
mainder of  the  mass.  As  a  rule,  the  mottled  subsoil  is  more  compact 
than  the  surface  soil  or  upper  subsoil.  Some  included  areas,  as  that 
3  miles  northwest  of  Leipsic,  consist  of  Leonardtown  siU  loam. 


son.  SURVEY  OF   KENT   COUNTY,  DELAWARE.  23 

Tlie  Leoiiardtown  loam  is  not  very  extensive.  The  lar<;est  bodies 
occur  on  :Milf()rd  Neck  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Sour  AmAe  Tree  School. 
One  area  is  mapped  east  of  Dover  and  another  soutliwest  of  Leipsic. 

The  Leonardtown  loam  usually  lies  a  little  above  the  Elkton  soils, 
and  in  places  it  includes  small  depressions  occupied  by  tliose  types. 
These  are  not  shown,  as  they  are  too  small  to  map  on  the  scale  of  1 
inch  to  the  mile.  The  surface  is  flat  or  only  slightly  undulating,  but 
tlie  surface  drainage  is  for  the  most  part  adequate.  Subsoil  drain- 
age, however,  is  more  or  less  restricted,  and  in  many  places  drainage 
ditches  have  been  found  necessary. 

Like  the  sandy  loam,  this  soil  is  unimportant  agriculturally  on  ac- 
count of  its  small  extent.  Corn,  wheat,  hay,  and  tomatoes  are  the 
'principal  crops  grown.  The  soil  is  somewhat  coUl.  Crops  make  a 
slow  gi'owth  during  the  early  spring  and  usually  are  later  in  matur- 
ing than  on  the  Sassafras  soils. 

ELKTON    SANUY    LOAM. 

The  Elkton  sandy  loam  consists  of  a  light-gray  sandy  loam  or 
heavy  sandy  loam,  underlain  at  8  to  10  inches  by  white  or  light-gray 
silt}'  clay  to  sandy  clay  which  shows  some  i:)ale-yellow  mottling.  In 
places  near  the  Pojtsmouth  soils,  and  frequently  in  the  timbered  re- 
gions, the  surface  material  is  slightly  darker  in  color  in  the  first 
few  inches,  owing  to  a  slightly  higher  organic  content.  AVhen  dry, 
the  surface  has  an  almost  white  color,  and  it  is  much  inclined  to 
harden  in  dry  weather.  In  places  the  lower  subsoil  ranges  fi'om  a 
white,  compact  sandy  clay  or  sandy  loam,  usually  saturated,  to  a  stiflF. 
impervious,  light-gray  or  bluish-gray  silty  clay,  with  some  yellow 
mottling,  and  it  is  not  uncommon  for  the  lower  subsoil,  Avhere  in  gen- 
eral of  light  texture,  to  contain  pockets  or  thin  strata  of  heavy 
material. 

In  some  areas  the  type  is  rather  heavy  in  texture,  closely  approach- 
ing a  loam  or  silt  loam,  and  as  mapped  it  douljtless  inchulcs  smalW 
bodies  of  soil  of  those  textures.     In  a  few  localities,  as  near  Tanner 
Branch,  the  subsoil  becomes  yellowish  gray,  somewhat  like  that  of 
the  Norfolk  sandy  loam. 

The  sandy  loam  is  the  most  extensive  of  the  Elkton  soils,  and  it  is 
xcry  prominent  throughout  the  western  and  southern  parts  of  the 
county.  Large  AAell-defined  areas  lie  south  of  Harrington  and  in  the 
\icinity  of  Farmington,  while  othera  occur  near  the  head  and  west 
of  Marshyhope  Creek.  The  type  occurs  in  numerous  irregular- 
shaped  areas  w'est  and  northwest  of  Berrytown,  along  Cow  Marsh 
Ditch  and  Tanner  Branch,  and  near  Hartly. 

The  Elkton  sandy  loam  in  general  has  a  flat,  nearly  level  topo- 
graphy. In  many  places  it  occupies  small  flats  within  areas  of  the 
lighter  textured  Sassafras  soils,  as  well  as  the  larger  depressions  at 
the  heads  of  many  of  the  stream  courses.     The  poor  drainage  and  the 


24  FIELD  OPERATIONS   OF   THE  3UREAU   OF   SOILS,   1918. 

high  water  table  in  many  phxces  have  seriously  affected  the  physical 
condition  of  the  soil.  A  considerable  part  of  the  type,  however,  has 
been  improved  by  the  construction  of  drainage  ditches. 

While  this  soil  is  used  quite  extensively  for  agriculture,  much  of  it 
still  remains  in  timber.  The  typical  growth  consists  of  several  varie- 
ties of  oak,  mostly  white  oak,  along  with  i)lack  gum,  sweet  gum, 
maple,  dogwood,  and  other  trees.  Corn,  wheat,  and  hay  are  the 
l^rincipal  farm  crops.  Considerable  quantities  of  tomatoes  are 
grown,  and  strawberries  are  produced  for  market  to  some  extent  in 
the  vicinity  of  Hartly.  Buckwheat  and  cowpeas  are  grown  in  a 
small  way.  The  type  is  not  well  adapted  to  tree  fruits,  but  some  of 
the  farmers  have  home  orchards.  In  ordinary  years  corn  yields 
around  IS  bushels  per  acre,  wheat,  10  bushels,  and  hay,  1  ton.  Land' 
prices  range  from  $15  to  $40  an  acre. 

The  soil  is  much  more  difficult  to  handle  than  the  Sassafras  soils, 
and  crop  failures  are  more  frequent.  The  type  is  difficult  to  handle 
in  wet  weather,  and  it  does  not  resist  drought  well.  It  could  be 
greatly  improved  by  tiling  or  ditching,  by  the  use  of  lime,  and  by 
increasing  the  content  of  organic  niatter  through  the  growing  of 
legumes,  the  occasional  turning  under  of  a  cover  crop,  and  the  liberal 
use  of  manure. 

On  account  of  their  small  extent,  a  few  areas  of  Norfolk  sandy 
loam  are  included  with  the  Elkton  sandy  loam.  The  Norfolk  sandy 
loam  consists  of  a  gray  sand  to  loamy  sand,  passing  at  3  to  (>  inches 
into  pale-yellow  loamy  sand  to  sandy  loam,  which  at  10  to  20  inches 
becomes  heavier  in  texture,  passing  into  pale-yellow  sandy  loam, 
sandy  clay  loam,  or  sandy  clay.  The  lower  subsoil  is  coarser,  as  a 
rule,  containing  more  sand,  and  sometimes  gravel.  Frequently  at 
about  30  inches  the  subsoil  is  moist,  and  in  places  it  is  more  or  less 
mottled  with  red  and  yellow.  The  included  areas  of  Norfolk  sandy 
loam  ai'e  confined  to  the  southern  part  of  the  county,  in  the  vicinity 
of  Harrington  and  Houston,  and  northwest  of  Milford.  They  ifre 
flat  to  nearly  level  and  have  rather  poor  drainage,  especially  in  the 
subsoil.  On  the  whole,  the  drainage  is  better  than  that  of  the  ad- 
jacent Ellrton  and  Portsmouth  soils,  but  not  so  good  as  that  of  the 
associated  Sassafras  or  Norfolk  sands.  Corn,  wheat,  hay,  sweet  pota- 
toes, tomatoes,  and  garden  truck  can  be  grown  quite  successfully,  but 
yields  are  lower  than  on  the  Sassafras  soils.  Also,  the  Norfolk  sandy 
loam  is  not  so  warm  natured,  and  crops  are  usually  planted  later  in 
the  spring.     The  soil  is  low  in  organic  matter. 

ELKTON    LOAM. 

The  soil  of  the  Elkton  loam  is  a  gray  to  ashen-gray  rather  silty 
loam  which  becomes  light  gray,  almost  white,  when  dry.  It  is  low  in 
organic  matter,  subject  to  baking  on  the  surface,  and  more  or  less 
cloddy  when  tilled.    The  subsoil,  beginning  at  depths  of  about  8  to 


SOIL  STTETET   OF   KENT   COUNTY,  DELAWAEE.  25 

10  inclies,  is  a  lio'lit-o-iay  compact  sandy  clay  or  clay  hiohly  mottled 
with  yellow  and  occasionally  with  some  reddish  yellow.  In  places 
the  suhsoil  has  the  texture  of  a  sandy  loam.  In  the  lower  part  of 
the  3-foot  section  the  mottling  is  usually  less  intense,  and  the  mate- 
rial becomes  more  sand}',  but  it  is  always  quite  sticky  and  plastic. 
The  lower  subsoil  is  always  moist,  sometimes  saturated,  and  ranges 
in  texture  from  a  sandy  clay  to  a  sticky  sand. 

The  P^lkton  loam  is  most  prominent  in  the  northwestern  and  cen- 
tral parts  of  the  county.  It  is  well  developed  in  numerous  areas 
west  and  southwest  of  Smyrna,  west  of  Dover,  and  in  the  vicinity 
of  Pearson.  Irregular-shaped  bodies  occur  north  of  ^\'lton  and 
southwest  of  "Wyoming,  while  a  few  others  are  found  southeast  of 
Frederica  on  Milford  Neck. 

The  type  is  confined  to  low,  poorly  drained  flats  and  saucerliko 
depressions  with  restricted  drainage.  Open  ditches  have  been  cut  in 
many  places  and  have  much  improved  the  physical  condition  of  the 
soil. 

The  type  is  not  very  important  agriculturally.  Probably  over 
one-half  of  it  is  covered  with  timber,  mainly  white  oak,  willow 
oak,  black  gum,  sweet  gum,  maple,  and  other  deciduous  trees.  The 
soil  is  IcK^ally  known  as  "  white-oak  land." 

The  Elkton  loam  is  adapted  to  the  same  general  crops  as  the 
sandy  loam  and  is  handled  in  a  similar  manner.  On  the  whole,  it 
is  more  difficult  to  cultivate.  Corn  in  ordinary  seasons  yields  about 
15  bushels  per  acre,  wheat,  12  bushels,  and  hay,  1^  tons.  The  type 
affords  good  pasturage,  and  much  of  it  is  used  for  this  purpose. 
Land  prices  vary  from  $20  to  $35  an  acre. 

This  soil  can  be  made  more  productive  by  improving  the  drainage, 
correcting  acidity,  and  increasing  the  content  of  organic  matter. 

KI.KTON    SII.T   T,OAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Elkton  silt  loam  typically  consists  of  a 
smooth,  heavy-textured,  light-gray  silt  loam  <>  to  14  inches  deep.  It 
is  low  in  organic  mfdter  and  is  generally  tilled  with  difficulty.  The 
unplowed  fields  are  hard  when  dry,  and  frequently  the  cultivated 
soil  is  cloddy,  with  a  nearly  white,  chalklike  appearance.  The  sub- 
soil consists  of  a  very  light  gray,  drab,  or  bluish-gray  silty  clay  loam, 
which  passes  quickly  into  a  plastic  silty  clay  containing  mottlings 
of  brown  or  yellow.  The  mottling  becomes  more  pronounced  with  in- 
crease in  de]ith.  At  28  to  30  inches  the  material  is  more  sandy  and 
quite  variable  in  texture,  usually  ranging  from  a  sandy  clay  to  a 
light  sandy  loam,  but  in  places  consisting  of  a  white  sand  saturated 
witli  water.  '^ 

The  Elkton  silt  loam  is  largely  confined  to  the  eastern  pnvt  of  the 
county  and  generally  occurs  in  close  association  with  other  heavy- 
textured  soils.    Numerous  areas  are  mapped  east  of  Smyrna  on  Ray- 


26  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1918. 

monds  Neck,  east  of  Dover  on  St.  Jones  Neck,  and  in  the  eastern  part 
of  Milford  Neck  in  the  southeastern  j)art  of  the  county.  Small 
bodies  are  located  near  the  county  boundary  in  the  vicinity  of  Sewell 
Branch,  as  well  as  several  miles  northwest  of  Masten. 

The  native  vegetation  consists  mostly  of  white  oak,  willow  oak, 
sweet  gum,  black  gum,  and  maple.  In  places  hickory  and  red  oak 
are  present.  Moss  is  quite  common  on  the  surface  of  some  areas. 
The  land  is  locally  styled  "  white  oak  land  "  in  the  Delaware-Mary- 
land-Virginia peninsula. 

This  soil  occupies  low,  flat  areas,  frequently  representing  slight 
depressions  throughout  the  Sassafras  silt  loam.  The  poor  drainage 
has  greatly  impaired  the  physical  condition  of  the  soil  and  greatly 
reduced  its  productiveness.  The  aeration  is  imperfect,  and  in  places 
the  soil  has  a  tendency  to  run  together  and  bake  upon  drying. 

Agriculturally,  this  soil  ranks  low,  but  a  considerable  proportion 
of  it  is  under  cultivation,  and  in  favorable  seasons  rather  high 
yields  are  obtained.  However,  it  is  an  imcertain  soil,  upon  which 
crops  are  very  susceptible  to  injury  either  from  an  excess  or  defici- 
ency of  rainfall,  and  low  yields  and  even  failures  are  cjuite  common. 
Wheat  and  hay  are  the  principal  crops,  while  corn  and  tomatoes  are 
grown  to  some  extent.  Timothy,  alsike  clover,  and  redtop  grow 
well,  and  the  hay  crops  frequently  yield  1^  tons  per  acre.  The  type 
affords  excellent  pasture,  and  much  of  it  is  used  for  this  purpose. 
The  soil  is  rather  cold,  and  crops  usually  have  to  be  planted  late  in 
the  spring. 

The  same  methods  of  cultivation  and  fertilization  are  followed  as 
on  the  other  Elkton  soils.  The  silt  loam  is  more  difficult  to  till, 
however,  than  either  the  sandy  loam  or  loam. 

Land  values  ranges  from  about  $20  to  $45  an  acre,  depending  upon 
the  location,  the  general  improvements,  and  the  <'ondition  of  the  soil. 

The  type  as  a  whole  is  very  deficient  in  lime.  The  physical  condi- 
tion of  the  soil  can  be  greatly  improved  by  increasing  the  organic 
content. 

POKTSMOUTH  SANDY  I.OAil. 

The  Portsmouth  sanely  loam  to  a  depth  of  8  to  15  inches  is  a  black 
or  extremely  dark-gray  sand}'  loam,  high  in  organic  matter.  The 
upper  subsoil  consists  of  a  light-gray  or  almost  white  sandy  loam  or 
sand,  which  passes  quickly  into  a  sandy  loam.  It  is  frequently 
mottled  with  yellow  and  may  contain  pockets  or  thin  strata  of  heav- 
iei-  textured  material.  The  sandy  loam  often  grades  into  mottled 
bluish-gray  and  yellowish  sandy  clay.  At  de])ths  of  ?>()  to  86  inches 
the  subsoil  passes  into  a  white  compact  sand  or  light-gray  sandy 
loam,  whicli  is  generally  saturated  with  water. 

The  Poi'tsmontli  sandy  loam  is  confined  to  the  western  part  of  the 
coimty.    The  largest  ai"eas  are  in  the  vicinity  of  Hartly  and  north- 


SOIL   SIIRVFA'-   OF   KENT   COUNTY,   DELAWARE.  27 

west  of  Berr3i;own.  Others  are  found  north  of  Tanner  I>ranch,  near 
Downs  Chapel,  northwest  of  Harrington,  and  southeast  of  Farming- 
ton.  The  type  occurs  in  close  association  with  the  Elkton  soils  and 
the  other  members  of  the  Portsmouth  series.  It  occupies  flats,  swales, 
and  depressions,  and  the  imperfect  drainage  has  greatly  restricted 
its  use.  However,  numerous  drainage  ditches  have  been  dug.  and  a 
considerable  proportion  of  the  type  is  now  farmed. 

Corn  is  the  principal  crop  grown,  and  good  yields  are  obtained  on 
land  which  has  been  well  drained.  Tomatoes  are  grown  to  some  ex- 
tent, and  strawberries  are  produced  on  some  farms.  The  type  is 
not  well  adajited  to  Miieat,  and  very  little  is  sown.  Some  of  the  land 
is  used  for  pastme,  but  a  rather  large  proportion  still  remains  in 
forest,  consisting  princii)ally  of  willow  oak,  swamp  white  oak, 
black  gum,  sweet  gum,  ash,  maple,  ironwood,  chestnut,  and  villow. 
Forested  areas  ordinarily  have  a  dense  undergi'owth,  consisting  of 
ftj^alea,  buttonbiish,  high-bush  huckleberry,  and  other  similar  plants. 

Few  farms  consist  wholl}'  of  the  Portsmouth  sandy  loam,  and 
land  values  are  difficult  to  determine,  but  they  probably  range  from 
$15  to  $80  an  acre. 

POKTSMOUTH   LOAM. 

The  soil  of  the  Portsmoiitli  loam,  in  its  typical  development,  con- 
sists of  a  black  to  very  dark  gray  medium  to  light  textured  loam, 
8  to  18  inches  deep.  The  organic  content  in  all  areas  is  high,  and 
in  a  few  places  organic  matter  is  present  in  such  quantities  as  to  give 
the  soil  a  mucky  character.  The  subsoil  is  somewhat  variable  in 
texture,  but  for  the  most  part  consists  of  a  light-gray  sand}'  loam  or 
a  white  sticky  sand,  which  passes  into  a  light-gray  plastic  sandy  clay 
or  silty  clay.  It  is  usually  mottled  with  gray,  yellow,  brown,  and 
bluish  gray,  and  may  contain  pockets  or  seams  of  either  heavier  or 
lighter  textured  mateiial.  At  30  to  36  inches  it  passes  into  a  sandy 
loam,  sticky  sand,  or  quicksand,  which  is  quite  compact  in  places  and 
is  saturated  with  water. 

In  a  few  areas  the  surface  soil  passes  directly  into  silty  clay  or 
clay,  while  in  others  the  lower  sandy  subsoil  may  rest  on  heavier 
material  within  the  3-foot  section.  Four  miles  northwest  of  Kenton 
a  very  compact,  hardpanlike  stratum  occurs  at  a  depth  of  l.")  to  3S 
inches,  the  soil  here  being  very  similar  to  the  St,  Johns  soils  found 
farther  south  in  the  Coastal  Plain. 

The  Portsmouth  loam  is  developed  in  the  western  part  of  the 
county,  and  is  most  extensive  in  that  section  lying  west  and  southwest 
of  Ilazlettville,  It  is  also  encountered  south  of  Blackiston  and  s<iuth 
of  Tanner  Branch.  Many  long  irregular  bodies  occur  northeast  of 
AVhiteleysburg  nnd  l)etween  A^'lliteleysburg  and  Harrington.  Other 
areas  are  mapped  northwest  of  Farmington  and  north  of  Hickman. 


28         "field  operations  of  thk  bureau  of  soils,  1{>18. 

The  Portsmouth  loam  usually  occupies  a  lower  position  than  the 
Portsmouth  sandy  loam  or  the  Elkton  soils.  Areas  frequently  lie 
in  the  long,  narrow,  shallow  depressions  at  the  heads  of  streams.  The 
type  is  flat  and  the  drainage  very  poor,  water  often  standing  on  the 
surface  during  wet  seasons.  Much  of  the  soil  is  nonagricultural, 
but  parts  of  it  have  been  reclaimed,  drainage  being  accomplished  by 
ditches. 

The  Portsmouth  loam  is  unimportant  agriculturally.  Most  of  it  is 
covered  with  a  mixed  forest,  including  willow  oak,  sweet  gum,  black 
gum,  and  alder.  A  characteristic  is  the  dense  growth  of  underbrush, 
which  is  ahvays  mu€h  thicker  than  that  on  the  Elkton  soils. 

The  same  crops  are  grown  on  this  soil  as  on  the  Portsmouth  sandy 
loam,  and  as  a  rule  a  little  larger  yields  are  obtained. 

PORTSMOTTTH    SILT    LOAM. 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Portsmouth  silt  loam  consists  of  8  to  14 
inches  of  black,  mellow  silt  loam,  very  high  in  organic  matter, 
and  in  swampy  places  mucky.  The  subsoil  usually  consists  of  a  dark- 
gray  to  light-gTay  silty  clay  loam  or  sandy  clay,  which  passes 
downward  into  stiff  bluish-gray  silty  clay.  In  j)laces,  however,  the 
lower  subsoil  consists  of  white  compact  sandy  clay  or  sandy  loam, 
saturated  with  water.  The  subsoil  is  always  more  or  less  mottled 
and  in  many  places  contains  pockets  of  variably  textured  material. 

In  a  few  places,  mainly  in  depressions,  the  type  is  semiswampy, 
being  much  like  the  areas  mapped  as  Swamp  or  Meadow.  It  is  closely 
related  to  the  Portsmouth  loam  and  sandy  loam,  and  as  mapped 
probably  includes  small  bodies  of  those  soils. 

The  silt  loam,  like  the  other  Portsmouth  types,  is  confined  to  the 
western  part  of  the  county.  The  largest  areas  lie  north  of  Berry^ 
town  and  in  the  vicinity  of  Willow  Grove.  Irregular-shaped 
bodies  occur  nortliwest  of  Blackiston,  near  Downs  Chapel,  in  the 
vicinity  of  Pearson,  and  around  Dupont. 

Owing  to  the  low,  flat  surface  and  the  many  included  depressions, 
this  soil  has  very  inadequate  drainage,  and  most  of  its  area  remains 
in  the  forest.  The  tree  growth  is  vigorous  aud  much  like  that  on 
the  Portsmouth  loam;  the  underbrush  is  probably  a  little  more  dense. 

Parts  of  the  typo  have  been  reclaimed  by  ditching,  and  where 
goofl  drainage  has  been  established  the  soil  is  fairly  productive. 
It  is  adapted  to  the  same  general  crops  as  the  other  Portsmouth 
soils. 

MEADOW. 

Narrow  strips  of  poorly  drained  alluvium  occur  along  practically 
all  the  drainage  ways  of  the  county.  Generally  they  are  less  than 
one-eighth  of  a  mile  in  width  and  extend  all  the  way  from  the 
source  to  the  mouth  of  a  stream,  or  to  the  Tidal  marsh.     These 


SOIL,  SURVEY   OF   KENT   COUNTY,   DELAWARE.  29 

strips  are  classified  as  Moudow  aiul  Swamp,  the  better  drained  por- 
tions being  mapped  as  the  former.  In  area  and  agricultural  value 
the  Mondow  is  of  minor  importance.  It  is  not  an  individual  soil 
type,  but  represents  numerous  kinds  of  soil  subject  to  nuich  varia- 
tion in  color,  texture,  and  structure.  Along  Cow  Marsh  Ditch, 
about  1]  miles  northwest  of  Petersburg,  the  soil  is  a  brown  heavy 
sandy  loam  to  a  depth  of  20  to  24  inches,  where  it  grades  into  a 
brown  to  dark-broAvn  loamy  sand  which  contains  pockets  or  strata 
of  gray  to  white  loose  sand.  Three  miles  west  along  this  same  stream, 
three  ditferent  soil  types,  a  sandy  loam,  loam,  and  silty  clay  loam, 
were  encountered  in  a  distance  of  less  than  25  yards.  The  surface 
color  of  all  was  brown,  with  a  brown  to  light-gray  subsoil.~  The 
subsoil  ranges  from  a  sand  to  a  sandy  clay,  mottled  with  yellowish- 
brown  to  rusty  brown.  Along  Marshyhope  Creek,  in  the  southwest- 
ei-n  part  of  the  county,  the  grciiter  part  of  the  soil  material  is  very 
high  in  organic  matter,  and  jet  black  to  very  dark  brown  in  color. 
It  ranges  in  texture  from  a  sandy  loam  to  a  silty  clay  loam  to  a 
depth  of  12  to  24  inches,  where  a  stratum  of  peaty  or  mucky  material 
is  encountered,  extending  to  depths  below  36  inches. 

Practically  all  the  Meadow  areas  lie  along  the  streams  in  the 
western  half  of  tlie  county,  with  the  greater  proportion  along  Cow 
Marsh  Ditch  and  Marshyhope  Creek.  The  type  as  mapped  includes 
undifferentiated  bodies  of  Swamp,  which  is  closely  related  to 
Meadow,  as  one  merges  into  the  other. 

In  its  original  state  the  jNIeadow  is  not  gi'assland,  as  the  name 
would  seem  to  imply,  but  supports  a  dense  growth  of  trees  with  a 
thick  undergrowth  of  vines  and  brush.  The  principal  trees  are  water 
oak,  spotted  oak,  maple,  birch,  alder,  sweet  gum,  willow,  and  ash, 
and  important  smaller  plants  are  cat-brier,  wild  grape,  and  poison 
ixj.  In  some  places  in  the  better-drained  areas,  or  where  artificial 
drainage  has  been  supplied,  the  timber  has  been  removed,  and  the 
land  is  cultivated  or  used  for  pasture.  Com  and  potatoes  grow  well, 
and  in  places  where  tlie  organic  content  is  not  too  high,  wheat  and 
hay  can  be  grown  successfully. 


Swamp  consists  of  strips  of  poorly  drained  alluvium.  It  is  of 
small  extent  and  in  most  features  is  much  like  Meadow,  but  it  has 
poorer  drainage  and  is  practically  nonagricultural.  It  consists  of 
mixed  soils,  subject  to  nuich  variation  from  place  to  place,  but,  as 
a  whole,  high  in  organic  matter  and  always  saturated  with  water. 
In  some  places  the  surface  soil  consists  of  a  dark-brown  to  black 
sandy  loam  to  silt  loam  which  grades  at  variable  depths  into  a 
brownish  to  gray  silt  loam  to  clay  loam.  In  other  localities  the  sur- 
face soil  for  the  first  few  inches  consists  of  a  pasty  black  :Muck,  which 


30  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   THE   BUREAU   OF   SOILS,   1918. 

grades  into  brownish  fibrous  peaty  material  extending  to  depths 
below  3  feet.  Sometimes  the  entire  soil  column  may  consist  of  l*eat 
or  Peaty  muck. 

Besides  its  alluvial  developments  Swamp  also  occurs  as  a  narrow 
strip  between  Tidal  marsh  and  the  adjacent  soil  types  and  repre- 
sents a  gradation  of  zone  between  the  two ;  in  fact,  the  greater  part 
of  the  Tidal  marsh  is  bordered  by  such  a  fringe,  but  in  most  instances 
it  is  too  narrow  to  map.  In  many  places  such  soils  are  covered  with 
water  throughout  all  or  the  greater  portion  of  the  year,  and  in  some 
jdaces,  as  the  lower  parts  of  the  area  along  Murderkill  River,  are 
subject  to  inundation  by  the  tide. 

As  a  whole,  the  Swamp  is  too  wet  for  agricultural  use,  but  parts 
of  it  when  cleared  could  be  used  for  pasture.  The  tree  growth  con- 
sists mainly  of  gum,  willow,  alder,  cedar,  pine,  bay,  birch,  and 
maple.  There  is  an  extremely  dense  undergrowth  consisting  of 
brush,  vines,  and  many  other  plants  adapted  to  swampy  conditions. 
Swamp  is  mostly  confined  to  the  eastern  half  of  the  county,  and  for 
the  most  part  occurs  near  the  sources  of  the  streams. 

TIDAL    MAllSH. 

Tidal  marsh  in  most  places  consists  of  sediments  brought  down  by 
the  various  streams,  deposited  at  practically  tide-water  level,  and 
subjected  to  more  or  less  change  by  tidal  action.  The  material  varies 
somewhat  from  place  to  place.  As  a  rule,  it  is  very  high  in  organic 
matter  and  consists  largely  of  silts  and  clays.  Ordinarily  the  soil 
is  a  dark-brown  to  bluish-gray  plastic  or  oozy  silty  clay  loam  or 
clay,  in  places  mottled  with  yellowish  brown,  3  feet  or  more  deep. 
In  places  it  may  grade  at  varying  depths  into  a  dark-brown  fibrous 
Peat  or  Peaty-muck  material,  and  in  others  this  Peaty-muck  material 
may  form  the  surface,  with  the  heavy-textured  deposits  underlying, 
as  at  Leipsic.  Here  the  type  would  be  described  as  a  brown  fibrous 
Peat,  underlain  at  12  to  20  inches  by  a  brownish  oozy  silt  loam. 
Normally  the  soil  and  subsoil  are  filled  with  plant  roots,  saturated 
with  water  and  highly  charged  with  marine  salts.  Near  the  bay  a 
belt  of  very  sandy  soil  is  sometimes  encountered,  which  is  frequently 
underlain  with  a  heavy  drab-colored  plastic  material. 

Tidal  marsh  is  mapped  along  Delaware  River  and  Bay  in  the 
eastern  i)art  of  the  county  and  occurs  as  an  irregular-shaped  belt 
varying  in  width  from  one-half  mile  to  4  miles.  The  surface  is 
uniformly  flat  and  treeless,  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of  vegeta- 
tion consisting  largely  of  cat-tails,  swordgrass,  calamus,  and  various 
salt-Avater  and  marsh-loving  plants.  The  type  contains  numerous 
sloughs  or  channels,  and  the  stream  courses  are  always  winding  and 
crooked.  The  type  lies  only  a  few  feet  above  sea  level  and  the 
greater  part  of  it  is  subject  to  tidal  inundation.     The  few   areas 


SOIL  SURVEY   OF   KENT   COUNTY,   DELAWARE.  31 

uhich  are  not  now  inundated  regularly  aie  not  tyi)ical,  hut  tlu-v  are 
mapped  as  Tidal  marsh  rather  than  with  the  more  distinct  adjacent 
Coastal  l*lain  soils. 

Tidal  marsh  in  its  natural  state  is  nonagricultural,  and  attempts 
to  reclaim  portions  of  it  have  met  with  little  success.  Practically 
the  only  method  of  reclamation  is  by  diking.  Some  of  the  type  is 
used  for  pasture  and  small  (quantities  of  marsh  hay  are  cut  in  a  few 
places. 

COASTAL   BEACH. 

Coastal  beach  occurs  in  only  a  few  places  adjacent  to  Delaware 
Bay,  occupying  a  low  narrow  bank  which  serves  as  a  barrier  between 
the  Tidal  marsh  and  the  bay.  The  soil  is  a  light-gray  loose  medium 
sand  which  continues  uniform  in  texture  antl  color  to  depths  below 
36  inches.  When  dry,  the  surface  material  appears  very  gray  or 
almost  white,  but  it  becomes  slightly  brownish  gray  when  moist. 
In  i)laces  it  contains  more  or  less  well-rounded  gravel.  The  type 
has  only  a  very  scant  growth  of  vegetation  and  is  nonagricultural. 
It  is  found  in  small  patches  at  Bombay  Hook,  Fraland  Beach,  Port 
Mahon,  Kitts  Hummock,  and  Bowers  Beach.  From  Bennett  Pier 
the  Coastal  beach  continues  south  as  a  narrow  strip  to  the  southern 
boiuidary  of  the  county. 

SUMMARY. 

Kent  County  occnjiios  the  central  part  of  Delaware  and  contains  an 
area  of  594  square  miles,  or  380,160  acres.  It  lies  in  the  Atlantic 
Coastal  Plain  and  has  a  flat  to  slightly  undulating  topography  with 
a  maximum  elevation  of  only  65  feet  above  sea  level. 

As  a  whole,  the  drainage  of  the  eastern  and  western  parts  is  poor, 
while  that  of  the  central  belt  is  good.  The  eastern  three- fourths  of 
the  county  is  drained  into  Delaware  Ba}',  and  the  western  fourth  into 
Chesapeake  Bay. 

Very  little  settlement  had  been  made  in  this  region  prior  to  1661. 
The  population  in  1910  was  27,812,  which  represents  a  decrease  of 
5,062  since  1880.  Over  86  per  cent  of  the  total  population  is  rural. 
Dover,  the  largest  town  in  the  county,  with  a  population  of  3,720,  is 
the  capital  of  the  State  and  the  county  seat  of  Kent  County. 

The  Pennsylvania  Bailroad,  Avith  two  branch  lines,  furnishes  good 
transportation  facilities,  while  the  area  along  Delaware  Bay  has  good 
boat  service.  Wagon  roads  are  numerous  and,  on  the  whole,  are  kept 
in  fair  conclition. 

Kent  County  has  an  average  rainfall  of  13.69  inches  and  a  mean 
annual  temperature  of  55.8°.  The  highest  temperature  on  record  is 
101°,  and  the  lowest,  12°  below  zero.  The  humidity  is  usually  high. 
The  precipitation  is  well  distributed  throughout  the  year,  and  crop 
failures  are  seldom  caused  either  by  severe  droughts  or  by  prolonged 


32  FIELD   OPERATIONS   OF   TIIK   FAIREAU   OF    SOILS,   TJlS. 

wet  spells.     The  average  growino-  period,  or  the  length  of  tune  be- 
tween killhig  frosts,  is  187  days. 

The  agriculture  of  the  county  began  over  200  years  ago,  with  corn, 
wheat,  and  tobacco  as  the  principal  crops.  Thirty  years  ago  the  pro- 
duction of  peaches  was  extremely  important,  but  the  orchard  area 
has  decreased  to  a  thirteenth  its  former  size.  To-day  the  leading 
crops  are  corn,  wheat,  and  hay,  while  tomatoes  are  produced  exten- 
sively for  canning.  Apples  and  peaches  are  the  more  important  fruit 
crops.  The  stock  industry  is  not  important,  but  dairying  is  in- 
creasing. 

The  census  of  1910  reports  over  79  per  cent  of  the  farms  using  fer- 
tilizer, at  an  average  expenditure  of  $102.81.  About  one-half  of  the 
farms  are  operated  by  owners. 

The  county  comprises  soils  belonging  to  4  series,  embracing  13 
types  and  2  phases.  Four  classes  of  miscellaneous  material  also  are 
mapped.  The  Sassafras  soils  are  the  best  and  the  most  important  in 
the  county.  Some  of  these  soils  are  veiy  productive,  and  rank  among 
the  most  desirable  of  the  Atlantic  Coastal  Plain.  The  sandy  loam 
and  loam  have  a  wide  crop  range  and  are  well  adapted  to  fruit  grow-. 
ing  as  well  as  to  the  production  of  tomatoes  and  the  general  farm 
crops.  The  silt  loam  is  an  excellent  soil  and  produces  good  yields  of 
corn,  wheat,  and  hay.  The  sandier  types  are  well  suite'd  for  sweet 
potatoes,  berries,  and  trucking  crops. 

The  Leonardtown  soils  are  relatively  unimportant  on  account  of 
their  small  extent.  The  surface  soils  are  like  those  of  the  Sassafras 
series,  but  the  subsoil,  like'  that  of  the  Elkton  types,  is  inadequately 
drained.  This  makes  these  soils  less  desirable  than  the  Sassafras 
soils". 

The  Elkton  series  in  this  county  comprises  a  sandy  loam,  a  loam, 
and  a  silt  loam.  These  are  typically  gray  soils,  occupying  flat  or 
nearly  le^el  areas  with  poor  drainage.  Wheat  is  the  principal  crop 
groAvn,  but  hay,  corn,  and  tomatoes  are  also  important. 

The  Portsmouth  soils  are  black  in  the  surface  layer  and  high  in  or- 
ganic matter.  They  occupy  flat  areas  and  are  poorly  drained.  The 
series  is  represented  by  the  sandy  loam,  loam,  and  silt  loam  types. 
Much  of  their  area  is  covered  with  forest.  AVhen  Avell  drained,  these 
soils  prodiice  good  yields  of  corn  and  are  well  adapted  to  strawberries. 

Swamp  and  Meadow  consist  of  iiai'row  strips  of  alluvium  along  the 
stream  courses.  Tidal  marsh  includes  the  treeless,  flat  region  along 
the  bay,  which  are  subject  to  inundation  by  high  tid6s.  Coastal 
beach  occurs  as  a  narrow  fringe  of  light-gray  sand  adjacent  to  Dela- 
ware Bay. 

o 


